A New Plastics Treaty Is Being Negotiated at the UN: What You Need to Know

Negotiations for a new Global Treaty on Plastics formally kicked off in early December. Delegates from around 160 countries met in Uruguay for the first round of talks aimed at reducing the harmful impact of plastics on both the environment and health.  Antonio Guterres has called plastics "fossil fuels in another form." And called on governments to support a treaty that not only dealt with plastic waste and recycling, but also the entire life cycle of plastics, including measures to control the production of plastics.  My guest today Andres Del Castillo attended the negotiations, which took place in the seaside city Punta Del Este. He is a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law.  We kick off discussing why regulating plastics through an international agreement is necessary. We then discuss the process for these negotiations and the stances thus far of key governments around the world, including the USA, China, the European Union and countries in the global south.