Plastics are chemicals, and of the over 16,000 chemicals linked to plastics, less than 1% are regulated worldwide throughout their full life cycles. Plastic chemicals have therefore been an important topic throughout the negotiations for a new Plastics Treaty, and the discussions have been centered around a full life cycle approach. including production, use, and disposal. 

Yet, the non-paper containing compromise text suggestions, proposed by the Chair of the negotiation process,suggests that plastic chemicals could effectively be regulated as “chemicals in plastic products” even though toxic plastic chemicals can be released during production, use, and disposal, not only during the product stage.  

This briefing explains why narrowly focusing on the plastic product stage would fail to address the broader environmental and health impacts associated with plastics throughout their entire life cycle.