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Can countries solve the plastic pollution problem?
Climate and science reporter, BBC News
Nipah Dennis/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesPlastic production has exploded in the last century – to some it has been a miracle product while to others it is a pollution nightmare.
Scientists have estimated that there are nearly 200 trillion pieces floating in the world’s oceans, and this could triple if no action is taken.
In 2022, countries agreed to develop a legally binding global treaty to cut the waste and the harmful chemicals some plastics contain – but after two years no agreement has been reached.
On Tuesday, the world’s nations meet again at a UN conference in Geneva – could they finally agree how to curb the plastic excesses?
Why is plastic such a valuable product?
Human societies have used plastics that occur naturally in the environment for hundreds of years, in the form of rubber, horn and shellac.
But the 20th Century brought the explosion of synthetic plastics, made from processing fossil fuels.
The material’s versatility, strength and heat-resistant properties has lent itself to thousands of uses, from sewage pipes to life-saving medical equipment, to clothing.
It has become ubiquitous in a short time without understanding its full impact, explains Dr Alice Horton, research scientist at the National Oceanography Centre.
“Proportional to life on earth, plastics have been around for no time at all, there are people alive that weren’t using plastics as children. I think that’s what makes this quite a concerning material,” said Dr Horton.
“It has exploded in such a way that we are using it in every application in our lives and yet we are suddenly realising there may be problems with it.”
How are plastics impacting our planet?
Levels of plastic production have grown exponentially over the last few decades. In 1950 two million tonnes was produced, by 2022 that had risen to 475 million tonnes.
Although plastic can be reused, the cost and availability of recycling infrastructure means very little is. About 60% of all plastics are single use and just 10% are estimated to be recycled, according to analysis in Nature.
Plastic has been shown to accumulate in the marine environment where it poses particular problems for wildlife who can ingest it.
“They can confuse it as food, which then harms their internal organs and also can lead to fatalities, because of digestion difficulties,” said Zaynab Sadan, global plastics policy lead at WWF.
She said they could also become entangled in discarded fishing gear or plastic packaging that has entered the ocean from sewage systems.
When it enters the environment, most plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces – known as microplastics. They have been found across all geographical ranges, from the deep sea to mountain tops, and across all living systems ever tested.
Research is continuing to understand the full impact, with different species faring better than others. But Dr Horton from the National Oceanography Centre warns there is a threshold where animals will start to be harmed.
“When we [get] accumulation of plastic in tissues we start seeing inflammation, cell damage, hormonal changes. Things that are not outright going to kill an organism but likely to have this accumulative, long-term effect whereby they get weaker and weaker, and sicker and sicker, and either become diseased or die,” she explained.
Are plastics harmful for us?
Plastics are a “grave, growing and under-recognised danger” for human health, according to a new expert report.
The Lancet Countdown estimated that health-related disease and death from the “plastic crisis” is responsible for at least $1.5tn (£1.1tn) a year in health-related damages.
Gerald Anderson/Anadolu/Getty ImagesThese impacts can range from air pollution from the production of plastic, through to elevated risk of cancer, respiratory illnesses and miscarriages from plastic contamination in our bodies.
Plastics contain more than 16,000 chemicals such as dyes and flame retardants, some of which are toxic and cancer-causing.
Despite the growing body of evidence of the hazards of plastic, the Lancet report highlights that there is a lack of transparency as to what is in most products. Just a quarter of plastic chemicals have data on their impact, but of those tested 75% were found to be “highly hazardous”.
What are countries trying to agree?
In 2022, countries agreed a global treaty was needed in two years to tackle the issue.
That deadline passed in December 2024, after five rounds of negotiations, with no treaty having been signed.
On Tuesday, more than 170 nations will meet again to try to get a deal over the line.
The main issues they are trying to get agreement on include:
- Targets on cutting the production levels of single-use plastics
- Bans on some of the most harmful chemicals in plastic
- Universal guidance on the design of plastic products
- Financing of this effort
Products that have to meet consistent design standards can help to improve recycling, save costs and reduce the demand for virgin plastics, Rob Opsomer, executive lead of plastics and finance at the Ellen McArthur Foundation, which co-convenes the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, told the BBC.
“So, to give you one example, a drinks bottle, if it is coloured, the value of what you can get from it if you sell the recycled material is half the value of a clear, uncoloured bottle,” he explained.
Nearly 100 countries, including the UK, are calling for an “ambitious” treaty which would include a commitment to limit production levels. But there has been strong opposition from a group of oil-producing nations including Russia and Saudi Arabia who want the talks to focus not on producing less, but recycling more.
Demand for oil in global energy and transport systems is expected to peak in the next few years as countries move to greener technologies. This could leave plastic as one of the few growth markets for the oil industry. Any efforts to limit production could pose short term economic damage to the petrostates.
But for those users of plastics not having clear, global regulations is costing them.
“It is a fundamental risk. Businesses don’t want packaging with their brand name on it to be littering the streets and our oceans,” said Mr Opsomer.
He said there was also the cost for businesses of having to comply with hundreds of new standards globally every year on plastics.
The Business Coalition, which includes some of the biggest global users of plastic such as Nestle and Unilever, is calling for governments to introduce coordinated taxes on their businesses to help pay for the cost of recycling and cleaning up plastic waste.
What can you do to reduce plastic waste?
Single-use plastic is the biggest contributor to plastic waste in the environment, and most of our daily consumption of this comes from food packaging.
You can take a reusable container or cup if you are getting a takeaway, and when food shopping consider taking a reusable sealed bag to weigh your fruit and vegetables.
It is estimated that more than a quarter of microplastics in the environment come from car tyres. For those that are able, walking and cycling to the local shops or sharing car journeys with friends or neighbours can help.
And avoid plastics that break down to microplastics more easily – such as chewing gum and glitter. There are many non-plastic alternatives still available which means you can keep having fun at festivals.
President Donald Trump on Monday filed a federal defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, four of its reporters and Penguin Random House over coverage of his 2024 campaign.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which covers the area where Trump resides outside the White House, accused the newspaper of attempting to ruin his reputation as a businessman, sink his campaign and prejudice judges and juries against him in coverage of his campaign.
The reporters and defendants are Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker, and Michael S. Schmidt. Penguin Random House published a book by Craig and Buettner titled “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.”
The newspaper, the suit alleges, “continued spreading false and defamatory content about President Trump” and refused to recognize he “secured the greatest personal and political achievement in American history” with his 2024 win.
The suit singles out a New York Times editorial endorsing Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
“The [editorial] Board asserted hypocritically and without evidence that President Trump would ‘defy the norms and dismantle the institutions that have made our country strong,'” the suit states.
It also points to three long-form articles in 2024 by the paper’s reporters named in the filing challenging narratives on Trump’s success as a businessman, looking at past scandals and analyzing his character as one that could move the Oval Office toward dictatorship.
“Today, the Times is a full-throated mouthpiece for the Democrat Party,” the filing alleges. “The newspaper’s editorial routine is now one of industrial-scale defamation and libel against political opponents. As such, the Times has become a leading, and unapologetic purveyor of falsehoods against President Trump.”
The New York Times said the suit is without merit.
“It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting,” a spokesperson for the New York Times said in a statement Tuesday. “The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.”
Penguin Random House and the reporters named in the suit did immediately responded to requests for comment early Tuesday.
The suit includes letters sent by Trump’s lawyers to the New York Times and Penguin Random House in October, along with responses from the two media organizations’ lawyers. The letter to the Times demanded it cease and desist from making “false and defamatory statements” about the president, while listing a litany of complaints about Times coverage.
Newsroom lawyer David McCraw responded by defending the reporting in articles mentioned by Trump’s lawyers.
“Little needs to be said about the rest of your letter, which is principally a litany of personal complaints about The New York Times and its reporters, punctuated with falsehoods and premised on the deeply troubling notion that anyone who dares to report unfavorable facts about a presidential candidate is engaged in “sabotage” (as opposed to, say, contributing to the free exchange of information and ideas that makes our democracy possible),” McCraw wrote, according to the letter attached to Monday’s suit.
Carolyn K. Foley, Penguin Random House senior vice president and associate general counsel, responded to Trump lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik: “The fact that the authors of the book do not share your favorable view of your client’s career, does not provide the foundation for a defamation claim.”
Monday’s filing seeks no less than $15 billion in compensatory damages for the alleged defamation, as well as unspecified punitive damages.
The reporters Schmidt, Craig and Baker have been contributors to MSNBC and NBC News.
ABC and Paramount, the parent company of CBS, have settled lawsuits brought by Trump and the president launched a new one against the Wall Street Journal and its ownership in July.
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray speaks during a press conference about the charges and next steps in the case of Tyler Robinson, who is suspected of fatally shooting U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Provo, Utah, U.S., Sept. 16, 2025.
Jim Urquhart | Reuters
Utah prosecutors on Tuesday charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and several other counts in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said he intends to seek the death penalty in the case.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” Gray said at a press conference to announce the charges and detail early evidence in the investigation.
Gray said Robinson was identified as a suspect in part because his family recognized him in photos released after Kirk was killed,
“Robinson’s mother expressed concern to her husband that the suspect shooter looked like Robinson,” and Robinson’s father agreed, Gray said.
Robinson’s mother also told investigators that “over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political and had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro gay and trans rights oriented,” Gray said.
Robinson’s mother also told police that said her son, “began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders.”
Gray also read text messages that were allegedly exchanged between Robinson and his roommate following Kirk’s shooting. They included several which contained romantic sentiments.
CNBC has not independently verified the content of messages, and Gray was uncertain whether Robinson had a lawyer to represent him yet.
Booking photo of Tyler Robinson
Courtesy: Utah Governor’s Office
Robinson, 22, has been held in jail without bail since his arrest early Friday morning, less than two days after Kirk was shot during a crowded political event at Utah Valley University.
Robinson, a Utah resident, is scheduled to appear virtually for his initial court appearance at 5 p.m. ET.
Speaking at the press conference, Gray described a wide array of evidence that he said tied Robinson to Kirk’s shooting.
This included text messages between Robinson and his roommate, interviews with the suspect’s family and DNA that was allegedly a match to Robinson’.
Kirk’s death has gripped the nation, and generated a broad swath of highly charged reactions from across American society. Many of Kirk’s friends and political allies have felt intense grief, and politicians across the aisle have issued forceful condemnations of political violence.
Arizonans mourn Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk outside of the Turning Point USA headquarters on Sept. 12, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images
But some, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, have blamed the “radical left” for the killing, while signaling plans to crack down on groups aligned with the ideology.
Meanwhile, some on the left who criticized Kirk’s right-wing politics while he was alive have continued to do so following his murder, stoking outrage from the activist’s supporters.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Extension. (a) The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), and Executive Order 14310 of June 19, 2025 (Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until December 16, 2025. During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating of) any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act. In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.
(b) The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.
(d) Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive. The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 16, 2025.
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