Global Efforts to Combat Plastic Pollution in February 2025

Representatives at the United Nations discussing global plastic pollution policies in February 2025.

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In February 2025, global efforts to combat plastic pollution gained significant momentum. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) scheduled an additional negotiation session from August 5 to 14 in Geneva, Switzerland, aiming to finalise a comprehensive plastics treaty. This decision followed the inability to reach a consensus during the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea, in December 2024. Key contentious issues included capping plastic production, managing plastic products and chemicals, and securing financial support for developing countries to implement the treaty. Despite backing from over 100 countries for a draft proposing global plastic production reduction targets, opposition from oil and petrochemical-producing nations posed significant challenges to reaching an agreement.

Nonprofit organisations continued their efforts to address plastic pollution. The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch environmental engineering organisation, focused on extracting plastic waste from oceans and rivers. By February 2025, they had removed over 21 million kilograms of plastic from rivers and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Their approach combined advanced technology with scientific research to tackle pollution at its source.

Scientific studies highlighted the broader environmental impacts of plastic pollution. Research published in March 2025 revealed that microplastics significantly reduce the ability of plants to photosynthesise, potentially impacting global food supplies. The study estimated a 4-14% loss in staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize due to microplastic pollution, potentially leading to an additional 400 million people facing starvation in the next two decades. Microplastics affect plants by blocking sunlight, damaging soils, and carrying toxic chemicals, reducing photosynthesis by 12% in terrestrial plants and by 7% in marine algae.

The urgency of addressing plastic pollution was further underscored by the significant increase in global plastic production. From 2 million metric tons in 1950 to 400 million metric tons by 2024, production is expected to triple by 2060. Currently, only 10% of plastic is recycled, leaving the majority to pollute ecosystems and enter human bodies. In response, over 170 countries have been negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty under the United Nations since 2022, aiming to address the entire lifecycle of plastics.

Despite these efforts, political challenges persist. For example, in February 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order reversing efforts to eliminate plastic straws, arguing that alternatives are ineffective and expensive. This move faced resistance from environmental advocacy groups and local authorities, highlighting the ongoing debate over single-use plastics.

Collectively, these developments in February 2025 underscore the complexity of combating plastic pollution. They highlight the need for coordinated international action, technological innovation, scientific research, and political commitment to effectively address this pressing global issue.