The UN May Trash Plastic Next Year

The United Nations is on the brink of passing one of two treaties that could reshape the world’s relationship with plastic, its global production, and, most importantly, the pollution it creates.

Why It Hits: It’s no shock at this point how terrible plastic is for our bodies and the environment. Yet, its malleability for use across a variety of industries at extremely cheap costs has kept it a staple for decades. If the UN passes a resolution that curbs the industry, the benefits could be felt across every aspect of life in the coming generation.

Behind the Bottles: In 2025, UN countries will vote on ratifying the legally binding Global Plastics Treaty.

It’ll go one of two ways:

• The first, more ambitious option hopes to “end plastic pollution” for good, which would sunset plastic production. It’s supported by Peru, Rwanda, and all of the Nordic countries (among others).
• The second, more conservative option aims to “protect human health and the environment from plastic pollution” and is focused more on creating better ways to recycle and manage waste. It’s supported by oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia.
• The US said this past summer that it supports limiting plastic production, so the treaty really could go either way… but the incoming Trump administration will likely lean more toward the second option.

Closing Thoughts: There’s a proven track record for a treaty like this making meaningful change. For example, the 1987 Montreal Protocol phased out the CFCs (the chemicals that created holes in the ozone) so fast that they were eradicated by 2000. The same could happen for plastic, especially if companies feel incentivized to make materials more biodegradable, compostable, or circular. In the words of The Six Million Dollar Man, “We have the technology.”