The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global crisis of plastic pollution.

Very little of the world's plastic waste—about half of which comes from single-use plastics such as packaging, straws and disposable utensils—is recycled. Just 9% of the 353 million tons of plastic discarded in 2019 was recycled.

The U.S. is among 175 nations haggling over a treaty to reduce the vast quantity of plastic pollution that ends up in our food, water and even our bodies.

As diplomats negotiate behind closed doors in Busan on a treaty to curb plastic pollution, the waste pickers who are on the front lines of the problem are fighting for recognition.In 2022, a UN resolution recognised the contribution of waste pickers to the fight against plastic pollution,

Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution have inched closer to an agreement, with more countries saying they want to address the total plastic on Earth.

The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Their meeting is scheduled to conclude Sunday or early Monday in Busan, South Korea,

Representatives from 175 countries are urgently negotiating a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution.