Page 54 - Plastics News Issue October 2025

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
PLASTIC POLLUTION TREATY STILL ACHIEVABLE,
SAYS UN ENVIRONMENT CHIEF
A est mountain peaks, in the deepest ocean trench
large bloc wants bold action such as
curbing plastic production, while a small-
er clutch of oil-producing states wants
to focus more narrowly on waste management.
The UN's environment chief insists that a land-
mark global treaty tackling plastic pollution re-
mains achievable, despite talks twice imploding
without agreement, and the chair suddenly re-
signing this week.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
executive director Inger Andersen told AFP in an
exclusive interview that countries were not walk-
ing away, regardless of their sharp differences
on combating the ever-growing problem, includ-
ing in the oceans.
Supposedly final talks in South Korea in 2024
ended without a deal – and a resumed effort in
Geneva in August likewise collapsed.
Countries voiced anger and despair as the talks
unravelled, but said they nonetheless wanted
future negotiations.
54 PLASTICS NEWS
"We left with greater clarity. And no-one has left
the table," said Andersen.
"No-one has walked away and said, 'this is just
too hopeless, we're giving up'. No-one. And all
of that, I take courage from."
'TOTALLY DOABLE'
The plastic pollution problem is so ubiquitous
that microplastics have been found on the high-
and scattered throughout almost every part of
the human body.
More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are pro-
duced globally each year, half of which is for
single-use items.
While 15 percent of plastic waste is collected for
recycling, only nine percent is actually recycled.
Nearly half, or 46 percent, ends up in landfills,
while 17 percent is incinerated and 22 percent is
mismanaged and becomes litter.
Annual production of fossil fuel-based plastics is
set to triple by 2060.
As things stand, there is no timetable for when
further talks might be held, and no countries
have made formal offers to host them.
But Andersen "absolutely" thinks a deal is within
reach.
"This is totally doable. We just need to keep at
it," she said.
October 2025