Petition

Demand a Strong Global Plastics Treaty

244,740 signatures. Let’s get to 250K

Update: The fifth negotiating session for a Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) is set for November 25 - December 1, 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. The outcome of these talks will be crucial in determining the shape and ambition of the final treaty. Stay tuned for updates and additional actions you can take as these critical negotiations unfold.

The plastics crisis is an environmental justice and climate change catastrophe — for our physical health and the world we live in. Only swift, meaningful action will save us now. 

Each year, the world produces 350 million tons of plastic waste — more than the weight of the entire human population — with devastating effects for human and climate health. Social injustice is a part of the narrative, too: The people and communities most affected by plastic production and pollution are disproportionately the most vulnerable and least culpable. 

Delegations have committed to creating a legally binding treaty that covers the entire life cycle of plastic and centers on frontline communities — but we must speak up to ensure that they adhere to this framework and create policies that address the global plastics crisis with the urgency it demands. Research shows that such policies may include:

  • A mandate for minimum recycled content in new products

  • A limit on virgin plastic production 

  • Large investment in waste infrastructure and recycling capacity, and

  • Significant reductions in single-use packaging and additives

Fueled by the powerful oil and gas industry — which has committed hundreds of billions of dollars to expanding plastic production — consumers have been sold on a myth that recycling is a comprehensive solution. In truth, every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic clogs up and pollutes the ocean, and as many as 51 trillion pieces of plastic choke every square mile of those precious waters. Still, less than 10 percent of plastics produced are actually recycled. Without action, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

The human consequences are equally severe. Plastic production and pollution releases vast arrays of toxic substances, increasing the risk of cancer and other devastating health issues. In production hotspots like Cancer Alley in Louisiana, which is home to over 150 petrochemical and plastic production plants, the risk of cancer from air pollution is 95 percent higher than for the rest of the country. Waste matters too, as plastic pollution many of us think floats out as ocean rubbish also ends up in the food we eat and the air we breathe.

Plastic products, including fishing nets and line, often kill marine species · Shane Gross
The plastics crisis is a truly global issue · Shawn Heinrichs
Plastics manufacturing impacts the most vulnerable and least culpable people and communities · Goldman Environmental Prize
Without action, by 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish · Cristina Mittermeier

The plastics crisis is a truly global issue, and its causes and consequences must be comprehensively addressed across the entire life cycle — from plastic creation to end pollution. The private sector has been slow and unwilling to take meaningful action to address the crisis, so it is incumbent upon national governments to work together to enact meaningful, global regulations and commitments to address this catastrophe.

Call on world leaders to adopt a strong Global Plastics Treaty. We’ll keep you up-to-date as negotiations progress.

Latest update: Our petition was updated on Jan. 19, 2024 to reflect new research from the Universities of California Santa Barbara and Berkeley, which showed that certain policies included in the potential treaty options are absolutely critical to achieving a meaningful impact on plastic pollution to the environment. 221,407 signatures were carried over from the initial petition.

Supporters
Bre F

I love our home.

11 hours ago
Razija W

Razija Wenzel

2 weeks ago
Vali I

я хочу помочь всем

3 weeks ago
Julietta M

I am signing because even we wouldn't bathe in trash water let alone live in it

3 weeks ago
Alessia Z

we got one earth and we have to love and respect it

3 weeks ago
Taisiya T

что творят люди... прекратите! черт возьми !

1 month ago
RENATA N

потому что вода страшно засорены, животные умирают и пропадают редкие виды.

1 month ago
Sunshine M

I need to learn more and be held accountable in my selection everyday products

1 month ago
Викси S

подписываю, потому что хочу очистить планету от мусора 🥺

1 month ago
Nika K

потому,что хочу отчистить наш общий дом от мусора и востановить чистоту на планете.God bless all of as 🤝🏼🤝🏼🤝🏼

1 month ago
Arina B

clean up the trash!

1 month ago
Marina E

I want to save the sea

1 month ago
Sarah W

Plastic is the death of to many animals, it needs to be stopped!

1 month ago
Janina C

This is important and we need to take action for our oceans.

1 month ago
Nancy Jean R

the situation is disgraceful threatening all life on this planet.

2 months ago
Jacqueline C

I see Plastic trash everywhere! it needs to stop!!! Recycling isn't enough!

2 months ago
Raphaël E

all researchs done on plastics shows they have a negative impact on both environment and human health

2 months ago
G B

I love the earth, and I want to have a future here on it

3 months ago
Sarah K

I voluntarily pick up all the litter in my neighborhood, the amount is unbelievable>:(

3 months ago
Odd K

I want to hinder the poisioning of humans and pollution of nature!

3 months ago
Shaun A

this matters to me!

4 months ago
Michelle W

if you have kids or grandkids you should care about this.

4 months ago
Jane R

i love our earth

4 months ago
Erin M

of the health of our planet and all of us.

4 months ago
Stacie P

Stacie Pruitt

5 months ago
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