Plastic pellets are not harmless cargo. 🐣 Decades of research show they are persistent, widely dispersed, ingested by wildlife, and capable of carrying hazardous chemicals across oceans. 🌍🌊 In our new perspective, we call on the IMO to recognize the risks and strengthen global regulation. ⚓

The #ISPCWP1 adjourned without agreeing to any decisions. The meeting will resume some time in the future to try again to operationalize the newest science-policy panel focused on #chemicals, #waste, and #pollution. Read ➡️ enb.iisd.org/isp-cwp-p1-i... #science #sustdev

Following the first round of voting by secret ballot, no candidate received a majority of votes to be the next Chair of the Plastic Pollution INC. Unless the two candidates with the most votes can reach agreement for one to step aside, the INC will proceed with a second round of voting. #plastics

‘UN chemicals panel talks end with little progress as procedural skirmishes eclipse science’ Read the article by Michelle Langrand in Geneva Solutions: genevasolutions.news/climate-envi...

UN chemicals panel talks end with little progress as procedural skirmishes eclipse science - Geneva Solutions

Procedural disputes and geopolitical rivalries overshadowed the launch of a body in Geneva meant to assess the science on chemical pollution. Delegates now brace for similar tensions at plastics talks...

genevasolutions.news

"We cannot continue to favor oil industry profits over the health of our children and grandchildren,” said Pamela Miller, IPEN Co-chair.  stoppoisonplastic.org/blog/despite...

“Given the limitations of applying a circular approach to plastic waste, there is a strong case for regulating plastic production under the Plastic Treaty” said Ieva Rucevska, principal expert at GRID-Arendal. stoppoisonplastic.org/blog/plastic...

Plastic Polymers Exempt from Global Waste Regulations Pose Threats to Health and the Environment - IPEN International Pollutants Elimination Network

Report informs Plastics Treaty delegates of problems in plastic recycling and calls for upstream solutions to the plastics crisis  A new report from

stoppoisonplastic.org

📢 NEW PAPER on #Chemicals in #RecycledPlastics! 📢 We collected recycled polyethylene (PE) pellets from small scale mechanical #recycling facilities, measured chemicals leaching out of the plastics into water and impacts in zebrafish. #PlasticsTreaty #INC5-2 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Effects of leachates from black recycled polyethylene plastics on mRNA expression of genes involved in adipogenesis and endocrine pathways in zebrafish embryos

Black recycled polyethylene pellets were collected from India, Nigeria and Taiwan. These pellet samples were used to create water leachates (in zebraf…

sciencedirect.com

It's just an honor to be nominated. I'd like to thank all the people who made this possible 😘 #PlasticsTreaty #MythOfRecycling Read the article here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

"Nations Agree to Ban Toxic Plastic Chemicals but Take Unprecedented Action Putting Health and the Environment at Risk" on the outcome of BRS COPs 2025 ipen.org/news/nations...

The source materials for most plastics are fossil fuels. As fossil fuel firms lose their iron grip on energy markets, experts say, they're shifting to making plastic. Recycling is a narrative that allows them to present plastic as a clean product. 1/13 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Plastics industry pushed ‘advanced recycling’ despite knowing problems – report

Producers promoted chemical recycling – processes used to break plastics into constituent molecules – but knew of limitations

theguardian.com

⚠️ Check more than 70 POPs contaminated sites with us!

IPEN: toxics-free@toxicsfree.bsky.social · last yr.

Today, @arnikaorg.bsky.social and IPEN released a world map that shows more than 70 POP contaminated sites globally. The map highlights the need for contaminated site guidelines. View the map: ipen.org/articles/glo... Learn more: ipen.org/news/map-hig...

www.linkedin.com/posts/charle...

Read the official #BRSCOPs interventions compiled by IPEN from Dr. Samarys Seguinot Medina, Tadesse Amera, Gilbert Kuepouo, Dr. Leslie Adogame, Pamela Miller, Sonia Buftheim, Yuyun Ismawati, Gohar Khojayan, Piyush Mohapatra, Aileen Lucero, Ram Charitra Sah, and Mari Carcamo: ipen.org/site/interve...

The Stockholm COP added toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos and PFAS group LC-PFCAs to its global ban list. IPEN welcomed the move but warned that broad exemptions for chlorpyrifos leave children at risk. Science – not profit – must guide chemical safety. Read more here: ipen.org/news/toxic-p...

New research by Matsunaga et al. (2025) show long-range transport of several benzotriazole UV stabilizers in plastics, including to remote islands. www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/emcr... “the findings highlight the need for international regulation of plastics and associated chemicals”.

IPEN and @acat-akaction.bsky.social strongly oppose a proposal to reopen the 2023 decision to ban UV-328 – a toxic chemical already phased out in many regions – and warn that granting new exemptions would set a dangerous precedent. Read our joint submission here: ipen.org/documents/re...

Day 4 at #BRSCOPs2025 "It's about the precedent." Delegates debated whether to allow a persistent organic pollutant elimination listing to be re-opened to accommodate the aircraft manufacturing industry. It's the first time such a request has been made. ➡️ enb.iisd.org/basel-rotter... #BRSCOPs

"Toxic Chemicals Damage Babies' Brains" This morning, @toxicsfree.bsky.social holds a demonstration to promote public policies for public health for protection from POPs, as ministers arrive for the morning's high-level segment. 📺 www.facebook.com/share/v/16V5...

enb.iisd.org/basel-rotter...

The perfect soundtrack for going into next weeks negotiations www.youtube.com/playlist?lis... For quickviews, guides on POPs coming up for discussion at this years #BRSCOPs and other relevant resources see ipen.org/conferences/... #BRSCOPs2025

POP songs - YouTube

youtube.com

The UV328 controversy ipen.org/documents/re...

See our QuickViews on the upcoming Conference of the Parties for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions where discussions will include listings for new chemicals, traceability of POPs and environmentally sound management. ipen.org/sites/defaul...

#Live now! On the road to #BRSCOPs2025, join the event shedding light on hidden #plastic waste exports -- Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and textile waste -- and how these can be made compliant with the #BaselConvention. ▶️ tiny.cc/GEN9Apr25 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfzQ... @toxicsfree.bsky.social

The POPs Review Committee notes that: "Enhanced transparency & traceability, through better labelling and information systems, are widely considered necessary." For a quick summary & our recommendations: stoppoisonplastic.org/blog/portfol...

We looked at the Chair's text for a future plastics treaty (the draft that emerged from INC-5.1) and here are our recommendations on how to ensure the protection of human health and the environment with specific comments on the draft articles. ipen.org/sites/defaul...

"This is digital genocide: populations of vulnerable people are being deleted. Data on transgender men and women are being deleted. We are also losing data on maternal mortality. These populations will suffer now and for decades to come. " www.bmj.com/content/388/...

Anger, despair, and defiance from a voice within the US federal research system

People around the world are watching with disbelief as the new US government closes down its aid programme, withdraws from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris agreement on climate change...

bmj.com

"...calling for a substantial reduction in the number of chemicals used in plastics manufacturing, and a complete ban of chemicals known to be detrimental to both human health and the environment" phys.org/news/2025-02... @treeonplastics.bsky.social @bcarneyalmroth.bsky.social @thoba.bsky.social

New study show impacts of debris from the X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka on plankton. Our results also highlight that plastics are not inert. They continuously sorb, leach, & transport toxic chemicals. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Looked into some of the misleading statistics behind recycling percentages of plastics. EU data talks about 41% recycling rates, currently, for plastics. But from the underlying data it seems like it's actually closer to 6-9% 🤔 ipen.org/sites/defaul...

Read our latest publication addressing chemicals in recycling, and how we might address these issues. We identified 5 key points: www.cambridge.org/core/service... E Carmona @treeonplastics.bsky.social @thoba.bsky.social, D Slunge, N Chukwuone, @theresekarlsson.bsky.social 🧪

WATERSHED Investigations@watershed-i.bsky.social · 2y ago

Plastic recycling: a comforting fiction that allows fossil fuel firms & chemical companies to ramp up production. In truth, only 9% of plastic is recycled while most ends up dumped - often shipped by wealthier countries to poorer countries. 1/6 www.theguardian.com/news/2025/fe...