United Nations agree to framework for historic treaty to reduce global plastic pollution

ENVIRONMENT MAINE • March 2, 2022

BOSTON — As the country that generates the most plastic waste in the world, the United States has joined other United Nations members in a groundbreaking international agreement to address the global plastic waste crisis. Negotiators will now start developing the terms of the treaty. The agreement gives policymakers a broad mandate to target plastic trash in all its forms -– not just bottles and straws in the ocean, but also invisible microplastics polluting the air, soil and food chain. The agreement calls for new rules around the design of plastic products, which are made from oil and gas, to make recycling easier, encourage sustainable use, and spur better waste disposal.