Why in news?
Negotiations among nearly 180 countries in Geneva failed to yield consensus on a binding international treaty to curb plastic pollution.
While the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has already adopted a resolution recognising the urgency of the issue, only a legally binding pact would compel nations to act.
However, deep divisions persist: some countries argue that the treaty should focus narrowly on plastic waste management, while others insist it must also tackle plastic production itself.
Another key dispute lies in whether developed countries should provide financial support to developing nations for implementing plastic curbs.
The most contentious point, however, is the recognition of plastics’ role in human health — a divide that has stalled meaningful progress on drafting the agreement.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- Increased Use of Plastic
- Challenges from Plastic
- Evidence That Plastic Harms Health
- Microplastics and Human Health
- India’s Approach to Plastic Management
Increased Use of Plastic
- Plastic has become the ultimate symbol of the industrialised, consumption-driven economy due to its versatility, durability, and low production cost.
- Derived largely from fossil fuels, plastic can be moulded into a vast array of products — from essential items such as aircraft and medical equipment to disposable packaging and cosmetic decorations.
- Its affordability compared to alternatives like glass or aluminium has accelerated its global spread.
Challenges from Plastic
- Ubiquitous nature of plastic has turned it into the primary source of litter, exposing weaknesses in waste management systems worldwide.
- A major challenge arises from plastic’s persistence in the environment. Plastics are complex mixtures of polymers, monomers, and chemical additives, with more than 16,000 chemicals potentially present in various plastic products.
- Alarmingly, little is known about the health or environmental impacts of over 10,000 of these substances.
- Studies have found that over 4,000 hazardous chemicals exist in major plastic types such as PVC, PET, polyethylene, and polyurethanes.
- Being synthetic and non-biodegradable, these chemicals are nearly indestructible and can migrate into ecosystems — contaminating rivers, oceans, soil, and ultimately entering the human body.
- Thus, while public debates often focus on recycling or waste management, the deeper concern lies in the toxic chemical load plastics carry.
- Their resilience and indestructibility make them long-term threats to human health and environmental safety, posing challenges that go far beyond visible waste.
Evidence That Plastic Harms Health
- Plastics are made from petrochemical derivatives such as ethylene, propylene, and styrene.
- Common variants include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
- To manufacture these, several other chemicals are used — including bisphenols, phthalates, PCBs, PBDEs, and PFAS.
- These substances are widely present in everyday items such as food containers, drink bottles, toys, polyester fabrics, cosmetics, paints, adhesives, medical bags, and electronic components.
- Health Risks Identified by Studies
- Over the years, medical researchers have investigated the effects of exposure to these chemicals through daily-use products.
- These studies have linked plastic-related chemical exposure to:
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Hypertension
- Kidney and testicular cancer
- Gestational diabetes
- Most of these studies were conducted in developed countries, highlighting the need for wider global research.
Microplastics and Human Health
- Microplastics are plastic fragments smaller than five millimetres, originating either as breakdown products of larger plastic items or as additives in manufactured goods.
- They are widely present in the environment due to the pervasive use of plastics.
- With recent advances in detection technology, microplastics have been discovered in several critical parts of the human body, including: Blood; Breast milk; Placenta; Bone marrow.
- This shows that microplastics are not just environmental pollutants but can penetrate and circulate within human biological systems.
- Impact on Human Health
- Although the exact health consequences of microplastics are still under investigation, early evidence suggests links to a wide range of disorders.
- Their persistence and potential to carry toxic chemicals raise concerns about long-term risks to human health, especially in sensitive stages such as pregnancy and early development.
India’s Approach to Plastic Management
- Production and use of single-use plastics are banned in nearly 20 States, as these items are the least reusable and most difficult to recycle.
- To address the waste management challenge, the government has also put in place administrative mechanisms requiring companies to collect back a share of the plastics they use.
- However, these measures have had limited success due to weak enforcement.
- Importantly, India does not yet recognise the health risks posed by plastics and associated chemicals, treating the issue largely as a waste management problem.
- In global negotiations on a plastics treaty, India — along with some other countries — has opposed including health impacts in the agreement, instead suggesting that such concerns should be addressed by the World Health Organization (WHO).