United States LEADERSHIP and CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED FOR NEW PLASTICS TREATY

This fact sheet advocates for the United States to lead the development of a comprehensive international treaty to end plastic pollution. It highlights a timeline where over 175 UN Member Nations agreed in February 2022 to negotiate a treaty by 2024 for signing in 2025, and urges the US Congress to adopt the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act as a model for national action.

• The United States is urged to lead negotiations for an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution that addresses the full plastic life cycle. The document suggests that Congress should use the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act as a model blueprint for a national reduction plan, which would serve as a key implementation mechanism for the treaty.
• In February 2022, more than 175 UN Member Nations reached a consensus to negotiate a new treaty to end plastic pollution by 2024, with the goal of adoption and signing in 2025.
• Prior to the 2022 agreement, an Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group (AHEG) spent 2.5 years between 2018 and 2020 evaluating response options and sources of plastic pollution. Additionally, changes to the Basel Convention became effective in January 2021, mandating prior informed consent for the international trade of mixed plastic waste.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2022). United States LEADERSHIP and CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED FOR NEW PLASTICS TREATY. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CIEL_BFFP_1-pager_-US-support-needed-for-a-plastics-treaty-June2022.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. United States LEADERSHIP and CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED FOR NEW PLASTICS TREATY. 2022. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CIEL_BFFP_1-pager_-US-support-needed-for-a-plastics-treaty-June2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=United States LEADERSHIP and CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED FOR NEW PLASTICS TREATY |date=June 2022 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CIEL_BFFP_1-pager_-US-support-needed-for-a-plastics-treaty-June2022.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2022united, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{United States LEADERSHIP and CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED FOR NEW PLASTICS TREATY}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CIEL_BFFP_1-pager_-US-support-needed-for-a-plastics-treaty-June2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }