Many nations hope to reduce the half a billion tons of plastic made each year. But pushback from plastic and oil producers, and Donald Trump’s election, could scuttle an agreement.

On March 2, 2022, delegates to the UN environment assembly adopted an ambitious resolution to develop the text of a new treaty by the end of 2024 to end plastic pollution. With 24 days of formal negotiation between almost 200 countries completed,

While China and the US are the world’s largest plastic producers, as well as the countries with the largest emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases, a new list has named the Philippines as the country that produces the most plastic pollution found in ocean waters.

The strategy focuses on cutting single-use plastics, boosting reuse, and assessing environmental and health impacts.