Negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty are currently underway and IPEN is calling for it to address harmful chemicals. Their 2023 report highlights the threats that plastics pose to human health and the environment, and sets out measures to address chemicals in plastics through the Global Plastics Treaty.

In 2022, United Nations member countries agreed to develop a Global Plastics Treaty to end plastic pollution. The fourth round of negotiations on the Treaty commenced on 23^rd April and will be taking place until 29^th April. IPEN’s 2023 report ‘Troubling Toxics’, sets out recommendations for eliminating harmful chemicals in plastics through the Treaty.

The report states that harmful chemicals in plastics threaten human health and the environment. It highlights that without global measures to address plastic pollution, the production of plastics could double or even triple in the coming decades.

13,000 chemicals have been associated with plastics, but only 7,000 of these chemicals have enough data available to determine their impacts on health or the environment. Approximately half of these 7,000 have one or more hazardous properties of concern.

Chemicals in plastics include monomers, which are the individual building blocks that make up plastics, and chemical additives, which are used for example to make it harder or softer, change its colour, or make it less flammable.

Chemicals that are not purposefully added (non-intentionally added substances) can also find their way into plastics, for example, through contamination or when chemicals degrade into new substances during manufacture and use.

IPEN highlights that harmful chemicals in plastics can be released throughout a plastic’s life cycle, during manufacture, use, and when processing waste (e.g. through incineration). The same applies to biobased plastics. This can expose workers and consumers to harmful chemicals.

The report suggests criteria for identifying chemicals to be controlled under the treaty (see page 5 of the report) and sets out an initial list of chemicals that should be a priority for control measures.

The list includes bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS and brominated flame retardants. Some of the chemicals in these groups are known or suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs have been linked to a variety of health issues in people and wildlife, such as reproductive problems and hormone-related cancers. See the full list of chemicals that IPEN suggests should be prioritised for control on page 7 of the report.

IPEN recommends that the Treaty should incorporate the principle of ‘grouping’, meaning that restrictions on one harmful chemical would apply to all chemicals that are related or have similar structures. Read more about this approach in our report, ‘Toxic Soup’.

CHEM Trust has been campaigning for many years for restrictions on hazardous chemicals in plastics – in particular bisphenols and phthalates. We have also been a member of the Break Free From Plastic movement since 2016, which involves over 12,000 organisations and individuals working together to stop plastic pollution. CHEM Trust hopes to see the inclusion of robust and comprehensive measures in the Global Plastics Treaty to address harmful chemicals at all stages of a plastic’s life cycle.

For more information on chemicals of concern in plastics, see our plastics webpage.

Read more news.