The Global Plastics Treaty Moves Toward Its Final Stage: Can It Deliver on Health and Environmental Protection?
After more than two years of intensive negotiations, the world is approaching a critical turning point in the fight against plastic pollution. The final session of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), known as INC-5.2, will take place in Geneva from 5 to 14 August 2025, where delegates are expected to finalise a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty.
The treaty, first mandated by the UN in 2022, aims to address the full life cycle of plastics, going far beyond waste management to include controls on production volumes, product design, chemical additives, and environmental leakage. Its overarching goal is to end plastic pollution by 2040, a target that will require transformative shifts in how plastics are made, used, and regulated around the world.
However, the path to agreement has been far from smooth. The previous session in Busan, South Korea, ended in a stalemate, with sharp divisions between countries calling for ambitious global rules—including production caps and toxic chemical bans—and those favouring national discretion and voluntary measures. Tensions persist around financing mechanisms, enforcement, and whether the final treaty will include language that holds polluters accountable.
In this context, health and science are becoming increasingly central to the negotiations. With growing evidence linking plastic particles and additives to human health risks, including exposure to endocrine disruptors and micro-plastics that may accumulate in the body, negotiators are under pressure to ensure that the treaty prioritises not only environmental goals but also public health protections.
Research initiatives like IMPTOX, which studies the interactions between micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) and biological systems, are helping to inform this conversation. Although IMpTOX is not directly involved in the negotiations, its scientific work contributes to the broader evidence base showing how plastic particles can carry environmental contaminants into the human body and may be linked to chronic health conditions, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children with allergies or asthma.
As the Geneva session nears, observers warn that the outcome of the talks could shape global plastic policy for decades to come. A strong treaty could mandate reductions in virgin plastic production, require safer material design, and create international standards for transparency and accountability. A weaker agreement, on the other hand, risks locking the world into a path of continued pollution and health uncertainty.
Whether or not the final treaty includes all the elements scientists and civil society groups are calling for, one thing is clear: the era of treating plastic as an isolated waste issue is ending. As a research project focused on the intersection of plastic exposure and health, IMPTOX welcomes this broader, systems-level approach and continues its mission to support science-based solutions for a cleaner, healthier future.
For more about the Global Plastics Treaty: