US 'urging' countries to reject plastic output caps in UN treaty

The US has sent letters to at least a handful of countries urging them to reject the goal of a global pact that includes limits on plastic production and plastic chemical additives at the start of UN plastic treaty talks in Geneva, a memo and communications seen by Reuters show.

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GENEVA/WASHINGTON - The US has sent letters to at least a handful of countries urging them to reject the goal of a global pact that includes limits on plastic production and plastic chemical additives at the start of UN plastic treaty talks in Geneva, a memo and communications seen by Reuters show.

In the communications dated July 25 and circulated to countries at the start of negotiations on Aug 4, the US laid out its red lines for negotiations that put it in direct opposition to over 100 countries that have supported those measures.

Hopes for a "last-chance" global treaty that tackles the full life cycle of plastic pollution from the production of polymers to the disposal of waste have dimmed as delegates gather for what was intended to be the final round of negotiations.