Delegates from 184 governments attempted to reach a global treaty on plastic pollution but left without a deal. Environmental advocates state that no deal is preferable to a bad deal, particularly regarding hazardous chemicals and production limits. Plastic production has drastically increased since the 1950s, with 475 metric megatons produced annually by 2022. Health advocates urge policymakers to control plastic production due to its harmful chemicals and the inefficacy of recycling, with less than 10 percent of plastic waste ever being successfully recycled.
"We need to address unhinged plastic production," Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez, a delegate from Panama, stated before negotiations ended. "We're not here to simply get to a deal. We are here to end plastic pollution."
Plastic production has exploded since the 1950s, reaching 475 metric megatons a year by 2022. That's the year that United Nations member states committed to developing a legally-binding agreement on plastic pollution.
Countries where plastics and fossil fuels are big business - including the US and Russia - would rather just focus on managing and recycling waste, leading to the deadlock.
The industry has faced increasing scrutiny for promoting recycling as a solution. It is estimated that less than 10 percent of plastic waste has ever been recycled.
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