Countries deadlock on UN treaty on plastic pollution

Countries have deadlocked on a United Nations treaty on plastic pollution, according to The Associated Press.

The treaty, with an aim of tackling worldwide plastic pollution, faced a hurdle due to negotiators not being able to get past the question of whether it should bring down the planet’s overall plastic while also having mandatory controls for toxic chemicals that are used in the making of plastics, according to the AP. 

Treaty negotiations had been occurring in Busan, South Korea, in the last week, and an agreement came about by negotiators on Monday for more conversations in the following year, the AP reported.

More than 100 countries hoped to have the plastics treaty reduce production and address cleanup and recycling, with some previously saying there is a need to focus on specific chemicals, which clashed with the desires of countries that make plastic, according to the AP.

A study from earlier this year found that five companies are behind a quarter of the world’s plastic waste. Eleven percent of global branded plastic pollution came from Coca-Cola alone, according to researchers. Other major producers included PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone and Altria.

One notable obstacle that nations have faced in trying to pull the plastics treaty together is the requirement for the agreement of all nations on proposals that become a part of it, according to the AP.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.