On March 14, 2024, the launched its on the state of the science of plastic chemicals.  

The report synthesizes available information on hazards, functionalities, use, presence, production volumes, and regulatory status of chemicals used in the production of or present in plastics. The collected information on all chemicals is publicly accessible within the associated PlastChem . It was co-authored by an international team of independent scientists including from the Food Packaging Forum and led by partners at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). 

According to the research, over 16,000 chemicals are known to be present in plastic materials and products, with less than 6% of them currently subject to global regulations. For nearly 4,000 plastic chemicals, their annual production volumes exceed 1,000 tons. “These findings highlight that there is a significant global governance gap and enforce the urgency for action under a global plastic treaty,” the authors state.  

Further, the research identifies significant knowledge gaps. Over 10,000 chemicals lack comprehensive hazard information, which “[…] underscores the urgent need for more transparent information on plastic chemicals’ identities, functionalities, production volumes, and their presence in plastics […].” 

The authors apply a hazard-based strategy to classify and prioritize plastic chemicals and polymers for management and assessment. The four hazard criteria used are persistence, bioaccumulation, mobility, and toxicity. Over 4,200 chemicals were classified as “of concern” based on these criteria – more than 1,300 of those are being intentionally added to plastics during the manufacturing process.  

Based on all the gathered evidence, the authors developed three key principles to guide effective action on plastic chemicals and polymers of concern: (1) the precautionary principle, (2) a full life-cycle approach, and (3) independent evidence. Additionally, the report concludes with policy recommendations that run under four themes: (1) regulate plastic chemicals comprehensively and efficiently, (2) require transparency on plastic chemicals, (3) simplify plastics towards safety and sustainability, and (4) build capacity to create safer and more sustainable plastics. 

During the that took place on March 14, 2024, hosted by the Geneva Environment Network, the authors shared first-hand insights into the results and methodology of the research. The recording can be freely accessed on the . 

Reference 

Wagner, Martin, et al. (2024). “.” NTNU Open. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10701706

Read More 

PlastChem Project (2024). . 

Geneva Environment Network (March 14, 2024). “.”