The world’s attention is on Busan, South Korea, where leaders will convene for the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee session (INC-5) to shape the Global Plastics Treaty. This treaty aims to confront the global plastic pollution crisis, which has escalated to critical levels in marine environments.

The summit represents a last chance to enforce binding rules that could reduce plastics at their source, combat harmful emissions, and address an ecological disaster threatening marine life and human health alike. According to Reuters, the stakes are high, with countries negotiating both mandatory and voluntary measures to regulate the plastics lifecycle from production to disposal.

The Cost of Inaction

The scale of plastic pollution in the oceans is staggering. Over 51 trillion pieces of plastic now litter global waters, creating hazards for hundreds of marine species and contaminating the entire marine food chain, reports the Center for Biological Diversity. Marine animals mistake plastics for food, resulting in fatal ingestion or entanglement. Large predators and even humans who rely on seafood are indirectly affected by microplastics that infiltrate marine ecosystems. If this treaty fails to deliver strong action, the volume of plastic entering the oceans could triple by 2040, according to projections by International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Key Issues: Production Caps and Toxic Chemicals

A primary goal of INC-5 is to negotiate limits on plastic production. Experts argue that capping production would reduce plastic pollution at its origin.

David Azoulay, an environmental health advocate at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), told the Geneva Environment Network that such controls are essential for any meaningful treaty impact, calling them the “enablers of all other measures.”

However, production caps face resistance from countries like Saudi Arabia and China, major petrochemical producers who argue that recycling and waste management are more feasible solutions.

Toxic additives in plastics, which leach into the environment, also demand attention. Industry leaders, including the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, advocate for clear criteria on restricting chemicals and problematic plastic products to reduce long-term environmental harm and health risks, notes Recycling Today.

Divisions and Calls for Strong Commitments

This treaty is divisive. While many nations advocate for aggressive global regulations, some argue for national-level solutions, worried that global mandates might harm domestic industries. For instance, U.S. Republican lawmakers recently raised concerns about production caps, arguing that they could impair American manufacturing and increase dependency on foreign imports, Reuters reports. Yet, environmental groups and some state officials in the U.S., including New York Attorney General Letitia James, are pushing for robust international standards, recognizing that local recycling solutions alone won’t stem the crisis.

Impacts on Coastal Economies and Vulnerable Communities

Plastic pollution impacts vulnerable populations disproportionately, particularly in coastal communities where fishing and tourism are critical to local economies. Without substantial intervention, plastic waste will continue to threaten these communities' livelihoods, creating significant socioeconomic risks, Geneva Environment Network reports.

WWF and other environmental organizations have warned that inaction will harm ocean biodiversity and deepen environmental inequalities. Low-income communities face additional challenges, as they often lack waste management infrastructure to handle plastic waste effectively.

Business Leaders Support a Binding Treaty

In an unusual alignment with environmental advocates, business leaders have also urged governments to create binding rules, emphasizing that voluntary measures lack the consistency and scale needed for change. The Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which includes major corporations like Unilever and PepsiCo, issued a statement calling for clear global standards that could streamline regulations across borders, ultimately lowering costs and enabling businesses to invest in sustainable alternatives, reports Recycling Today.

A Make-or-Break Moment for Oceans

The world’s oceans can no longer absorb the impact of unchecked plastic production. INC-5 offers a critical chance to institute a treaty that can prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering oceans each year.

As Ecuador’s INC chair Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso put it, this treaty must be “credible and effective” to create a global solution to a global problem.

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