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Scientists' Coalition declaration on the One Health impacts of plastics
Summary
A coalition of scientists presented a declaration at the 2026 One Health Summit asserting that plastic pollution is a cross-species health crisis — with microplastics now ubiquitous in food, water, and air — and calling for a binding global treaty to reduce plastic production and consumption as the most effective intervention.
About this Declaration The Scientists' Coalition delivered a declaration during the One Health Summit held on April 5-7, 2026 in Lyon, France focused on the on the One Health impacts of plastics. The full declaration is published here and available to read in English, French, and Spanish. Summary Over the last decades, scientific research has shown that plastic pollution occurs across the full life cycle of plastics and plays a central role in the global health burden with harmful effects on human, animal, and ecosystem health. Microplastics are now present in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Documented human health impacts of global plastic pollution include an increased risk of cancer, neuropsychiatric disorders, cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive diseases as well as metabolism disruption. Very similar effects can be observed in animals. Plastics therefore pose multiple, interlinked, and cascading threats to human, animal, and ecosystem health at the heart of the One Health concept. To protect human, animal, and environmental health, there is an urgent need to adopt an efficient Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution across the full life cycle of plastics, as mandated by UNEA Resolution 5/14. Reducing production and consumption is the only effective mean—and the most economically viable lever—to reverse current unsustainable consumption and production levels. This is particularly critical given that the world is already struggling to manage waste at current levels, and that plastic production is expected to triple by 2060. If production trends are not curbed, the sheer volume of plastic entering the system will continue to overwhelm global waste infrastructure, exacerbate pollution, and deepen the economic burden of cleanup and health costs. Robust science-based measures are urgently needed to effectively phase out the most hazardous, unsustainable, non-essential plastics from the global economy, thereby, significantly reducing global plastic production and plastic pollution and the impacts it incurs. Ultimately, scientific evidence indicates that a global reduction of plastic production and consumption is the most effective lever to protect human, animal, and environmental health. This reduction will drive systematic transformation across sectors and secure a healthier, more sustainable and equitable future. Want to get in touch with the Scientists' Coalition? Have a scientific question? Contact us via email: secretariat@scientistscoalition.org Contact us via Signal: +64 20 452 4556 Explore all of our resources: https://linktr.ee/scientistscoalition