White House faces backlash after urging countries to reject UN treaty goal: 'It's economic self-sabotage'

As a round of in-person negotiations over an international agreement to rein in plastic production and waste commenced, the U.S. circulated a memo stating its opposition to placing a cap on how much plastic nations can produce, Reuters reported. 

Additionally, the U.S. memo said that it opposed limits on what chemical additives can be included in plastic, as well as formulating a global plan to address the plastic lifecycle.

"We plainly do not see convergence on provisions related to the supply of plastic, plastic production, plastic additives or global bans and restrictions on products and chemicals," the U.S. memo stated, as quoted by Reuters.

What's happening?

As representatives from around the world gathered in Geneva to continue yearslong negotiations on a comprehensive U.N. treaty governing plastic production and waste, the U.S. sent the memo to a number of nations involved in the discussions, Reuters reported.

With over 100 nations supporting a cap on plastic production and other restrictions, the U.S. has found itself an outlier, aligning itself with the views of oil-producing countries and the petroleum industry. 

"Refusing to include plastic production in this treaty is not a negotiation stance. It's economic self-sabotage," Juan Carlos Monterrey-Gomez, who heads Panama's delegation, told Reuters. "Those blocking progress are not protecting their industries. They are locking their people out of the next wave of prosperity." 

Environmental advocacy groups also called out the U.S. for its stance, which included attempts to renegotiate language previously agreed to in 2022, sources told Reuters. 

The U.S. strategy signified a "return to old school bullying from the U.S. government trying to use its financial prowess to convince governments to change their position in a way that benefits what the U.S. wants," said John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA, per Reuters. 

As the world's No. 1 plastic producer, thanks in large part to Coca-Cola and Pepsi and the various brands under each one's umbrella, U.S. involvement is essential to any effort to reduce plastic production and waste globally. 

Why is a global plastics treaty important?

Plastic production and waste place enormous strain on the environment and public health by generating large amounts of heat-trapping pollution and contaminating even the far reaches of the globe with hazardous microplastics.  

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A 2024 study found that plastic production alone accounts for roughly 5% of all planet-heating pollution released around the world. The study noted that the current growth rate of plastic production is "exponential" and that this growth rate could "double or triple by 2050." 

"The rapidly increasing production of plastics and the continued reliance on fossil fuels for production, have contributed to numerous environmental problems and health harms," the study's authors wrote. "As a result, plastic pollution has become an increasing threat to natural ecosystems, human health and climate." 

For years, countries around the globe have been involved in complex negotiations aimed at limiting plastic production, reducing plastic waste, and regulating the oftentimes hazardous chemical additives included in plastics.

Because planet-heating pollution and plastic waste do not stay neatly within national borders but instead spread globally, a comprehensive international framework is required to fully address the situation.

If the world's No. 1 plastic producer does not join in the agreement, it could essentially derail the entire endeavor, regardless of what other countries do. 

Still, the U.S. asserted that the world's nations should not be able to decide unilaterally what policy works for them. 

"Some countries may choose to undertake bans, while others may want to focus on improved collection and recycling," a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Reuters. 

What's being done about plastic pollution?

While the U.S. appeared poised to throw a wrench into global negotiations aimed at limiting plastic production and waste, there is still time to use your voice and tell your elected representatives in Washington where you stand on a global plastics treaty. 

In the meantime, there are actions that everyone can take to reduce the demand for plastic and to reduce plastic waste. By avoiding products that use single-use plastic packaging and recycling or repurposing the plastics you do have, you can help to make a difference regardless of the policies being adopted at the national or international level. 

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