Public sentiment is mixed, showcasing hope for an effective global strategy against plastic pollution yet marked by skepticism about international negotiations' potential, alongside significant frustration directed at the plastics industry and systemic obstacles to change.

Governments

Plastics Industry

Environmental Activists




The following submission statement was provided by /u/IntrepidRatio7473:

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The plastics industry, backed by petrostates and their proxies, is derailing global treaty efforts, worsening ecological stress. By pushing for production over pollution limits, they’ve stalled meaningful regulation.

It also highlights how even something as visibly harmful as plastic can still attract defenders... revealing just how greedy and short-sighted humans can be, even in the face of urgent crises that demand swift and decisive action.

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 Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1m7nk2o/total_infiltration_how_plastics_industry_swamped/n4stbeu/

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Physical_Ad5702

The plastics industry, backed by petrostates and their proxies, is derailing global treaty efforts, worsening ecological stress. By pushing for production over pollution limits, they’ve stalled meaningful regulation.

It also highlights how even something as visibly harmful as plastic can still attract defenders... revealing just how greedy and short-sighted humans can be, even in the face of urgent crises that demand swift and decisive action.

IntrepidRatio7473

This passage is from Adam Hanieh's new book called Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market published in 2024 by Verso. Extraordinary wealth of information and a great read too.

"While their environmental toxicity is well recognised, much less attention has been given to the impact of plastics on climate change. Across their entire lifecycle, plastics are associated with significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions – indeed, if plastic were a country, it would rank as the world’s fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter, after China, the US, India, and Russia.[^(93)]() Much of these plastic-related emissions arise in the initial production of petrochemicals, which consumes more energy than any other industrial sector (including iron, steel, and cement).[^(94)]() But, even after it is discarded, plastic continues to release greenhouse gases as it degrades under the impact of UV light and water erosion. This is a particularly acute problem in the world’s oceans, where the most common form of plastic waste is low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a substance used in packaging, plastic bottles, and many other applications. LDPE is lightweight and tends to float on the surface of the water. With the churn of oceans and exposure to sunlight, LDPE breaks down and emits methane, ethane, and other greenhouse gases. The process of fragmentation also increases the surface area of the plastic waste exposed to environmental degradation, which means that the rate of greenhouse gas emissions tends to accelerate over time.[^(95)]() With many plastics able to last for centuries in the environment before they decompose, our perception of discarded plastic as *waste* is perhaps a misnomer: the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastics that find their way *annually* to landfills, rivers, and oceans are an active, ever-growing accelerant to the climate crisis that have far greater permanence than any individual human life.[^(96)]() We have become the organic detritus within a synthetic world of our own creation."

Unfortunately, humans almost always go for convenience and price over environmental impact. That's why I see people putting loose fruit and veg in individual plastic bags - it's more convenient than picking them out individually. Until governments regulate or tax it to hell then nothing will change and the industry will keep growing. As the original article states that is unlikely anytime soon as governments will always choose the money over the environment.

Additional-Ask-5512

We all know what the real and effective climate, plastic and fossil fuel policy solution is, and I am fucking sick of all the gaslighting heaped on people having to pretend it's not. It's a French invention.

Celestial_Mechanica

Collapse_is_underway

"The plastics treaty negotiations resume in August in Geneva, Switzerland, having failed to reach agreement at the fifth round of talks in December. At stake is whether the torrent of toxic plastic pollution pouring into the environment can be stemmed."

The obvious answer is no. In a "drill baby drill" world, who is gullible enough to believe in any global treaty. There is zero enforcement anyway. 

People are not going to stop using plastic as it is convenient. Convenience and cheap always trump environment and climate change. And as long as there is demand, there is plastic. It is just a matter of where the waste is going to go. And obviously to poor countries where they will take money to be the dumping ground.

NyriasNeo

Pasta in refillable containers, a return to decent lids for hummus and water bottles made from agricultural waste could be coming your way if the world passes an ambitious new plastic pollution treaty this month.

More than 170 countries are meeting in Geneva from Tuesday for the final fortnight of negotiations to tackle the scourge of plastic waste highlighted by Sir David Attenborough.

The final shape of the world’s first treaty on the issue will depend on how ambitious the deal is in tackling the 435 million tonnes of plastic produced annually, a figure experts fear could increase by 70% without action. If the treaty includes caps on plastic production as well as action on recycling, as campaigners hope, it could mean changes for how Britons shop, eat and deal with waste

TimesandSundayTimes

I'm pretty sure they made some sort of deal about reducing global emissions a while back. I'm sure whatever agreement they come to here be upheld to the same degree.

InvestInHappiness

pomod

The three crucial factors mentioned in the article are:

&gt;how to pay for the transition from plastics, where to set plastic production limits, and how to regulate dangerous ingredients.

Leather-Paramedic-10

Can you imagine trying to make Coke &amp; Pepsi go back to glass? 

I just don’t see how you could convince psychopathic corporations to decrease profits?

Edit: Did you know that aluminium cans actually have a plastic inner lining?
This crap is ubiquitous &amp; literally fcuking everywhere!

leisurechef

Money, money, and money. Also in some rare cases, the answer is still money

BrowsingTed

Read the rules.  Keep it courteous.  Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required.  Use the report button only if you think a post or comment needs to be removed.  Mild criticism and snarky comments don't need to be reported.  Lets try to elevate the discussion and make it as useful as possible.  Low effort posts &amp; screenshots are a dime a dozen.  Links to scientific articles, political analysis, and video essays is preferred.        


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Negotiations in Geneva aim to establish a Global Plastics Treaty to tackle the rising challenges of plastic pollution and its impacts on health and the environment.

Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations

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