Plastic items are seen next to an artwork by ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong, titled 'The Thinker's Burden', a 6-meter-tall sculptural remix of Rodin's iconic Thinker, created especially for the Plastics Treaty negotiations, on Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 before the second segment of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2). (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Chair of the International Negotiating Committee Luis Vayas Valdivieso, center, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Inger Andersen, left, and Director of the Federal Office for the Environment Katrin Schneeberger begin the second part of the fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
People protest with placards as delegates arrive prior to a session of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Plastic items are seen next to an artwork by ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong, titled 'The Thinker's Burden', a 6-meter-tall sculptural remix of Rodin's iconic Thinker, created especially for the Plastics Treaty negotiations, on Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 before the second segment of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2). (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
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Chair of the International Negotiating Committee Luis Vayas Valdivieso, center, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Inger Andersen, left, and Director of the Federal Office for the Environment Katrin Schneeberger begin the second part of the fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
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People protest with placards as delegates arrive prior to a session of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
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A scavenger sorts out plastic waste at a dumpsite on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, Aug 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
GENEVA (AP) — Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution are discussing a new draft of the text Wednesday that would not limit plastic production or address chemicals used in plastic products.
The biggest issue of has been whether the treaty should impose caps on producing new plastic or focus instead on things like better design, recycling and reuse. About 100 countries want to limit production as well as tackle cleanup and recycling. Many have said it’s essential to address toxic chemicals.
Powerful oil and gas-producing nations and the plastics industry oppose production limits. They want a treaty focused on better waste management and reuse.
The draft contains one mention of plastic production in the preamble, reaffirming the importance of promoting sustainable production and consumption of plastics. It does not contain an article on production from a previous draft. There is no mention of chemicals.
The new provisions seek to reduce the number of problematic plastic products that often enter the environment and are difficult to recycle and promote the redesign of plastic products so they can be recycled and reused. Parties to the treaty would improve their waste management.
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