Anthony Calacino - August 15, 2025 - 4-5 minutes est. reading time
It's 2025, which means we really shouldn't expect otherwise, but the UN negotiations on a plastics treaty appear to have failed last night Plastic pollution talks fail as negotiators in Geneva reject draft treaties. For those who have not been following these talks so closely, the reason for the breakdown seems to stem from two factors. One is that a number of oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia have been derailing negotiations. Another is that even amid more ambitious countries, there is debate about how much and how fast plastic production should be limited.
Satellite estimate of microplastic concentrations in the world's oceans. Author's analysis using data from https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/CitingPODAAC
Not so privy to the plastic treaty drama? Between the militarized-fascist takeover of Washington DC to blazing heatwaves in Europe, I'm not shocked that this particular news is slipping under the radar. Our world is replete with crises: is plastic pollution really deserving of the spotlight?
My goal in this blog is to convince you that this is very much something you should pay attention to. Moreover, we should really be prioritzing the global plastic crisis. We should stop plastic production and clean up the world for our ecosystems and human health. But, as a bonus, resolving the plastic crisis also brings benefits that help in our fight against oligarchy, facism, and climate change. Tackling plastics pulls out the carpet on quite a few bad actors too.
How would ending plastic pollution help fight facism? As a teaser, think for a moment: many of the same actors propping up Donald Trump in the US (big oil) are the same companies trying to derail the UN plastic treaty negotiations.
Before diving into the specifics, it's important we have the facts on the plastic crisis. I like to think of this crisis in three parts. First, plastic is everywhere and it takes hundreds if not thousands of years to break down. It's in our landfills. It's in our food. It's in our oceans. It's in the air. It is even inside of you (in your brain, your kidneys, and your reproductive organs). Second, we have very limited knowledge of how bad plastic is for human or environmental health, but what data we do have shows it is very very bad. Plastic may interupt the ability of plants to photosynthesize, reduce cognitive function in mammals, and potentially cause or make some cancers worse. So, in short, plastic is an affront to all biological life on Earth. The third part is the kicker: plastic production is exponentially increasing. What does this mean? It means not only is plastic everywhere, but with each passing day the concentration of plastic in our environment and our bodies is increasing.
So, it's imperative for our planet, humans, and all life on Earth to stop producing plastic and safely remove it from our environment. That's it. There is no alternative solution. Recyling plastic solves nothing; it keeps us ingesting microplastics and it is also a scam Plastic Recycling is a Lie. The scientific consensus is that countries need to ban plastic production now, and dedicate resources to finding out how to safely reduce plastic waste.
Taking all of this together, it means there is one logical outcome to a global plastic treaty negotiation: legaly binding caps on plastic production with a phase out plan. Additionally, we need serious compensation from wealthy countries to clean up plastic in the environment. I know, easier said than done.
The state of the science on this should then make it clear why what is happening in Geneva around the plastics treaty is so evil. Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia are hedging their oil bets with plastic. They have been fairly succesful in delaying climate mitigation, but as the world bakes and goes up in flames, I think even these countries are worried more stringent climate action is coming (even with Donald in the White House). So what do countries with stranded assets do? It seems they want to shift more of their oil production to plastics maufacturing, life on Earth be damned.
This is how tackling the plastic crisis also helps us fight oligarchy, facism, and climate change. Taking away the power of a handful of oil-rich countries to interfere with environemntal negotiations would go a long way to making the world a better place. This requires coalition building and perhaps specific bans on Russia and Saudi Arabia at these events. If that seems radical, think again ‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks . Also, if the G7 can kick out Russia (previously, the G8), I see little reason why environmental negotiations cannot do the same. Those who defend maximum participation say exclusion only undermines the outcomes of any treaties that are negotiated. But the system they defend is entirely dysfunctional.
Furthermore, removing the profit of plastic from fossil fuel companies and petro-states would also help fight facism and climate change jointly. Facists often make alliances with extractive enterprises, and or are propped up by them. Squeezing oil companies both on the oil mitigation side for the sake of climate change, and on the plastic side, will help rid us of their influence faster than tackling one side alone. Allowing these companies any profitable access threatens climate progress. These companies use profits to entrench themselves in society, like through propaganda or political donations. We must really strand fossil fuel assets for good.
In short, the plastic crisis may feel like just another problem in our hellish era. But the solution is clear: we must stop plastic production. Doing so has benefits for other worthy social causes. Namely, by phasing out plastics, we chip away at the power of bad-faith international actors like Russia and Saudi Arabia. We can even undermine facists and oligarchs.