US to support global treaty aiming to reduce the production of plastic

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The US will support a global treaty calling for a reduction in how much plastic is produced each year, according to US officials, signalling a policy shift as countries race to reach a final agreement to curb the pollution increasingly found to be harmful to human health.

The fresh backing for more limited production of plastic from one of the world’s largest producers will boost the prospect of the UN being able to unveil a landmark treaty to manage waste by the end of this year when a final round of negotiations is due to take place in South Korea, just two weeks after the November US presidential election.

In UN talks earlier this year, the US was aligned with China and Saudi Arabia in resisting the inclusion of plastic production controls in a treaty, instead calling for a focus on recycling and re-use.

But developing countries in Asia and Africa, where large quantities of plastic waste often ends up in dumps, landfills or incinerators, have been joined by big consumer companies that are significant users of plastic packaging in calling for the burden for the control and clean-up to be placed on producers.

The US petrochemicals industry has criticised the UN-led efforts to cap the production of plastic. In April, ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest producers of plastics, argued that a limit on production would not lower pollution and alternatives could have a higher carbon dioxide footprint.

Washington’s shift in position, first reported by Reuters, comes as scientists report further disturbing evidence about the harmful effects of plastics.

A report published in the Annals of Global Health on Monday found that “every plastic-associated chemical group” was linked to “at least one adverse health outcome”.

Scientists and regulators have placed particular scrutiny on “forever chemicals”, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, which never fully degrade and build up in the environment and biological chain, including in the human body.

PFAS are commonly found in a wide variety of household products, ranging from upholstery to food packaging, shampoos and electronics.

In April, the US’s top environmental regulator ordered municipal water companies to remove PFAS from drinking water, citing peer-reviewed scientific studies linking the chemical to decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of cancer and decreased immune function.

The US produces the most plastic waste per capita, with the average American estimated to be responsible for about 130kg of plastic waste a year. This is followed by the UK and South Korea, the host country for the UN treaty final talks, and Germany.

The American Chemistry Council, a trade group representing about 190 companies involved in the US chemicals industry, said the Biden administration’s support of plastic production caps as part of the UN Plastics Agreement “signalled it is willing to betray US manufacturing”.

The ACC argued that plastics were “critical” to modern healthcare and delivered clean drinking water, lowered transportation energy needs and helped prevent food waste.

“If the Biden-Harris administration wants to meet its sustainable development and climate change goals, the world will need to rely on plastic more, not less,” the ACC said in a statement. 

Exxon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Global demand for plastics, which makes up 50 per cent of petrochemical demand, was expected to nearly double by mid-century, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.