Omar Khalid
In 2019, the US did not sign a deal to restrict the flow of plastic waste into poorer countries, arguing that officials did not understand the repercussions it would have on the plastic waste trade. The US has also not participated in other international negotiations and commitments, particularly around climate, under the Trump administration. In 2025, the US attended talks for a global accord to end plastic pollution, which was a rare instance of international participation under Trump. However, the US delegation sent memos to other countries stating that it would not agree to a treaty that tackles the upstream of plastic pollution and would not support plastic production targets or bans and restrictions on plastic additives or products.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| US participation in international negotiations | The US has withdrawn from international negotiations and commitments under President Trump's leadership |
| US position on plastic pollution treaty | The US delegation sent memos stating its opposition to plastic production caps and upstream pollution measures |
| US involvement in Basel Convention | The US is not a party to the Basel Convention, which sets rules for hazardous waste shipment to less wealthy nations |
| US stance on plastic waste trade | The US argued against restricting plastic waste shipments to poorer countries, citing a lack of understanding of the repercussions |
| US role in plastic pollution crisis | The US is one of the world's leading producers of plastics, and its stance aligns with the global petrochemicals industry |
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What You'll Learn
The US is a leading producer of plastics
The United States is one of the world's leading producers of plastics, with the industry generating over a million jobs. The US accounted for 17% of global plastic materials production in 2023, with a total of 130 billion pounds of plastic produced that year. The largest plastics producers in the US include ExxonMobil, Dow, LyondellBasell, Westlake Chemical, and Formosa Plastics. North America is a major player in the global plastic industry, with many of the world's largest plastic manufacturers based in the US.
The versatility, durability, and affordability of plastics have made them indispensable in manufacturing, packaging, and construction. The US has a complex chemical engineering manufacturing process, with facilities clustered together to easily send chemicals from one refinery to the next to produce plastic packaging. This process involves three key steps: first, cracking fossil fuels into monomers such as ethylene and propylene, the building blocks of most plastics; second, polymerising these monomers using a catalyst; and third, processing polymers into plastic resins.
However, the US has faced criticism for its stance on international negotiations and commitments regarding plastic pollution. Under the Trump administration, the US withdrew from various international agreements and sent memos to other countries urging them to reject plastic production caps in the UN Treaty. The US delegation's tactics were described as "old school bullying," with the government trying to use its financial prowess to influence other countries' positions.
The plastics industry in the US has been accused of attempting to derail or blunt any global plastics treaty. Lobbyists have intimidated scientists, and the industry has started advertising campaigns promoting plastics' recyclability. Producers of plastic products have also attempted to sue environmental groups and even the Attorney General of California.
Despite these controversies, the American Chemistry Council's Plastics Division represents America's Plastic Makers and the half-million-plus scientists, engineers, and technicians who make plastics for essential and lifesaving products. The US plastic industry is committed to linking innovation with sustainability and has set a goal for 100% of US plastic packaging to be reused, recycled, or recovered by 2040.
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The Trump administration opposed plastic production caps
The Trump administration has been vocal about its opposition to plastic production caps. In a memo, the administration urged countries to reject any global pact that includes limits on plastic production and plastic chemical additives. This stance has been a point of contention in the negotiations for a plastics treaty, with the United States finding itself on the side of oil-producing countries.
The U.S. delegation, led by State Department officials, sent memos to other countries outlining its position. The memo stated that the United States would not agree to a treaty that tackles the upstream of plastic pollution and includes plastic production targets, bans, or restrictions on plastic additives or products. This position is based on the belief that such measures would increase the costs of plastic products used daily.
The Trump administration's approach to plastic pollution negotiations has been criticised as a "return to old-school bullying," with the United States trying to use its financial prowess to influence other countries' positions. The administration has also proposed revising the draft objective of the treaty to reduce plastic pollution by eliminating references to addressing the full life cycle of plastics. This proposal has been met with criticism, with some arguing that the U.S. is prioritising short-term economic interests over progress on plastic pollution reduction.
The United States' involvement in the treaty talks for a global accord to end plastic pollution is a rare instance of international participation under Trump, as the country has withdrawn from other international negotiations and commitments, particularly those related to climate. Despite the opposition to plastic production caps, the United States has acknowledged the importance of addressing plastic pollution and is engaged in discussions to find alternative solutions.
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The US is not a party to the Basel convention
In 2019, almost all countries agreed on a deal to restrict the export of hard-to-recycle plastic waste to less wealthy nations. This deal was an amendment to the Basel Convention, which sets rules for first-world countries shipping hazardous waste to less wealthy nations. 187 countries signed the agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, but the United States was not one of them.
The Basel Convention aims to make the global trade in plastic waste more transparent and better regulated, protecting humans and the environment. The US, as a non-party to the convention, previously had the ability to send plastic waste to developing countries that are part of the Basel Convention and are not part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This ability will be restricted under the new amendment.
The US's non-participation in the Basel Convention is part of a broader pattern of withdrawal from international negotiations and commitments under the leadership of President Donald Trump. While the US has been involved in treaty talks for a global accord to end plastic pollution, its participation has been described as "rare." The Trump administration has urged countries to reject plastic production caps in a potential UN treaty and has proposed revising the draft objective of the treaty to reduce plastic pollution.
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The US argued against the change, citing a lack of understanding of repercussions
In 2019, the US was the only country out of 187 that did not sign an agreement to limit the flow of plastic waste into poorer nations. The agreement was an amendment to the Basel Convention, which sets rules for first-world countries shipping hazardous waste to less wealthy nations. The US is not a party to the Basel Convention and so did not have a vote, but it did attend the meeting and argued against the change, citing a lack of understanding of the repercussions.
The US delegation argued that the amendment would negatively impact the plastic waste trade. At the time, the US and other countries could send lower-quality plastic waste to private entities in developing countries without getting approval from their governments. Since China stopped accepting recycling from the US, activists have observed plastic waste piling up in developing countries, with villages in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia reportedly turning into "dumpsites."
The US has a history of withdrawing from international negotiations and commitments under the Trump administration, particularly around climate. However, the US has participated in some treaty talks for a global accord to end plastic pollution. For example, in 2025, the US attended plastics treaty talks in Geneva, which aimed to complete a landmark treaty to end the spiraling plastic pollution crisis.
Despite growing evidence of the hazards of plastic, the US has generally opposed plastic production caps and restrictions on plastic additives and products. A State Department spokesperson said that each party should take measures according to its national context, with some countries focusing on bans and others on improved collection and recycling. The US's stance aligns with the positions of the global petrochemicals industry, as any efforts to limit plastic production could pose short-term economic damage to petrostates.
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The US delegation's tactics were criticised as bullying
The United States has been criticised for its stance on the global treaty to tackle plastic pollution. Under President Donald Trump's leadership, the US has withdrawn from international negotiations and commitments, particularly around climate.
The US delegation's tactics at the Geneva talks in 2025 were criticised as bullying. Before the talks even began, the US sent letters to other countries urging them to reject the goal of a global pact that includes limits on plastic production and chemical additives. This position put the US in direct opposition to over 100 countries that supported more ambitious measures. The US also proposed striking language from the treaty's objective about addressing the full life cycle of plastics, which could undermine efforts to control plastic supply and production.
The US's stance was influenced by the country's powerful oil and gas industry, which opposes cutting plastic production as most plastic is made from fossil fuels. The US argued that plastics play a critical role in every sector of the economy and that production cuts would increase the costs of plastic products.
The US's position was criticised by environmental groups, who said the country was trying to water down the treaty and undermine the need for strong international regulations. Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva, said that the US wanted a weak agreement and was not committed to addressing a global problem.
The US's tactics reflected a pattern of defending and delaying action on environmental issues, similar to the tactics used by the oil and gas industry to undermine climate science and the tobacco industry's efforts to downplay the harms of smoking.
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Frequently asked questions
The US didn't sign the plastics treaty because it didn't want to agree to caps on plastic production, which was the main issue of the treaty.
The plastics treaty is an international agreement to end the spiralling plastic pollution crisis.
Plastic pollution has been called a "grave, growing and underrecognized danger to human and planetary health". Researchers have linked microplastics consumption to an increased risk of cancer, respiratory disorders, bowel disease and infertility.
The US has proposed focusing on improved collection and recycling of plastic waste. However, critics argue that recycling is not a solution as less than 10% of plastic is recycled.
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