Reflections from the Women’s Working Group on Ending Plastic Pollution
The global plastic pollution crisis can no longer be framed simply as a waste management issue. It is fundamentally a public health crisis, a matter of environmental justice, and a human rights concern. From the Women’s Working Group on Ending Plastic Pollution, part of the Women’s Major Group at UNEP, we firmly believe that the future global plastics treaty must reflect this reality with ambition, coherence, and historical responsibility.
Women — community leaders, environmental defenders, scientists, health professionals, and grassroots organizers — are on the frontlines of both the impacts and the solutions. We are working toward a world free from toxic pollution, but also toward a more equitable system that recognizes and addresses the structural inequalities exacerbated by plastic pollution.
The Treaty Must Go Beyond Waste Management
Reducing the plastics crisis to waste management would be a strategic mistake. The real challenge lies in addressing its root causes: overproduction of plastics, widespread use of toxic chemicals, and the disproportionate burden placed on marginalized communities, particularly women and girls.
An effective treaty must include strong, legally binding global commitments. Ambiguous language that weakens accountability cannot suffice. Plastic pollution is a global crisis that demands global solutions — including reduced production, elimination of hazardous chemicals, transparency across the plastics lifecycle, and adequate financing for implementation.
A Crisis That Does Not Affect Everyone Equally
The health impacts of plastics are becoming increasingly clear, and they are not evenly distributed. Women face specific vulnerabilities due to both biological factors and social roles. They are often caregivers, informal waste workers, consumers of personal care products containing microplastics, and responsible for children whose development may be affected even before birth.
Emerging scientific evidence is deeply concerning. Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected in human placentas and even in newborns, suggesting that exposure begins before birth. This is not just an environmental issue — it is about the fundamental right to health and the wellbeing of future generations.
Gender Equality Must Be Mainstreamed, Not Marginalized
While current draft treaty texts mention women in the context of a “just transition,” this recognition remains insufficient. Gender equality cannot be confined to a single section; it must be mainstreamed across the entire agreement.
Without gender-responsive measures, the treaty risks perpetuating existing inequalities rather than dismantling them. Effective global environmental governance requires meaningful participation from women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, informal workers, and frontline communities directly affected by pollution.
Plastics Are Also Chemical Pollution
We often think of plastics as visible litter — bottles, bags, packaging — but plastics are also vehicles of chemical pollution. Many contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals and other hazardous substances that affect hormonal systems, reproductive health, neurological development, and immune function. These impacts are particularly dangerous for pregnant people, children, and communities with chronic exposure.
A robust treaty should therefore include:
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Clear limits on plastic production, particularly single-use and unnecessary plastics;
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Bans on toxic polymers and harmful additives;
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Restrictions on intentionally added microplastics;
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Full chemical transparency across the plastics lifecycle;
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Mandatory design standards ensuring plastics are safe, durable, reusable, repairable, and not simply disposable.
Financing a Just Transition Is Essential
Ambitious policy commitments require adequate financial backing. Countries in the Global South need predictable, accessible resources to implement treaty provisions, strengthen capacity, and transition toward safer and more sustainable systems.
This requires dedicated financial mechanisms with strong public governance, as well as a clear commitment to gender justice, social equity, and environmental sustainability.
A Historic Opportunity We Cannot Miss
The global plastics treaty represents a unique opportunity to shift away from a toxic, extractive, and unjust system. But its success will depend on the principles guiding it: human rights, gender equality, intergenerational equity, and environmental justice.
Women are not only disproportionately affected by plastic pollution — we are also central to the solutions. The treaty must reflect that reality in both its language and its commitments.
Because a plastic pollution–free future will not be achieved without environmental justice, and environmental justice cannot exist without gender equality.