Statement by Kathleen Rogers, President, EARTHDAY.ORG on the US Position on Plastic Production Caps, Washington DC

“Next week, from 25 November to 1 December 2024, the fifth and potentially final session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee is set to meet in Busan, Republic of Korea, to develop an international and legally binding agreement to manage and curtail plastic pollution.

The plastic crisis is a human health issue, not just a pollution problem, and it urgently needs to be addressed. We designated the global Earth Day theme for 2024 as Planet Vs. Plastics, to help shine a light on the frightening evidence emerging that associates microplastics and plastic chemicals with a whole range of serious human health conditions from heart attacks to cancer to Alzheimer’s.

So, it is with huge disappointment that we have learned this week that it is likely that the United States will back away from supporting a cap on plastic production, as had been widely reported in the press in August of this year. If true, this change in position is a major step backwards for the United States. We still hope to see a successful and powerful treaty, to deal with the world’s real and increasing plastic problem.

However, we remain deeply concerned that the US may abandon one of the small incremental steps so badly needed in recognizing that plastics remain one of the major health threats facing all people and the planet. At EARTHDAY.ORG we are steadfast in our commitment to protecting human health and the environment from the dangers of plastics. Our fight for plastic production caps and for accountability from the plastic industry for its impact on human health will continue.”