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Plastics pollution is surging — the planned UN treaty to curb it must be ambitious
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New scientific findings on nanoplastic pollution and hazardous chemical additives are intensifying calls for a strong United Nations global plastics treaty as international negotiations resume. Without an ambitious and binding agreement, the accelerating surge of plastic pollution will continue to outpace the world's ability to manage its environmental and health consequences.
New research on nanoplastics pollution and ‘chemicals of concern’ underscores the need for a strong agreement when negotiations restart in Switzerland next month. New research on nanoplastics pollution and ‘chemicals of concern’ underscores the need for a strong agreement when negotiations restart in Switzerland next month.
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The global plastics treaty can be saved — here’s how to break the deadlock
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Researchers and policy experts argue that the stalled global plastics treaty can still succeed if negotiators adopt a restructured approach to break the current deadlock among nations. A binding international agreement on plastic pollution is seen as essential for protecting both human health and ecosystems worldwide.
We must protect the global plastics treaty from corporate interference
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Scientists and advocates warn that a UN global plastics treaty is at risk of being weakened by corporate lobbying from the plastics industry, arguing that strong independent science must guide the agreement to meaningfully reduce plastic pollution worldwide.
We need a global agreement to safeguard human health from plastic pollution
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This commentary argues that unresolved disagreements among member states are hindering progress toward a UN global plastics treaty that could protect human and environmental health. The authors call for resolution of key disputes to advance international governance of plastic pollution across the full lifecycle.
Marine Plastic Pollution Prevention and Control Steps into a New Stage of Global Governance
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This article analyzes the current state of global governance for marine plastic pollution, assessing the 2022 UN Resolution to End Plastic Pollution and ongoing international treaty negotiations against the scale of the problem. Effective international governance frameworks are essential to halting the flow of new plastic into oceans, where it fragments into the microplastics now detected throughout the marine food web and in human bodies.
Millions of tonnes of nanoplastics are polluting the ocean
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Researchers highlight that millions of tonnes of nanoplastics smaller than a human hair are polluting the ocean, with these particles capable of passing through cell walls and entering the marine food web with poorly understood consequences.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.