In Busan, South Korea, talks on a global treaty on plastic pollution, which were held from November 25 to December 1, ended in failure. Negotiations are due to resume at a later date.
At the negotiations, competing narratives clashed over the causes of the plastic pollution crisis and the appropriate solutions to remedy it.
On one side, the High Ambition Coalition (HAC), “zero waste” activists and many scientists insist on the need for a global approach covering the entire life cycle of plastics, including their production.
On the other, a small minority of states and the petrochemical industry have repeatedly deflected attention from the issue of plastics production. Instead, they blame inadequate recycling systems and poor waste management.
