Author: Hellen Huang
On Monday, September 4, the United Nations Environment Programme published the zero draft of the new global plastics treaty. The text, based on previous negotiations, lays the foundation for a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution and could help confront some of the harmful impacts of plastics on the environment and protection of human rights. The draft proposes options to address the full life cycle of plastics, from reducing production to eliminating the use of the most hazardous plastics, with the goal of ending the export and recycling of plastics containing harmful chemicals – a promising first step towards a meaningful treaty.