For decades, scientists have published peer-reviewed studies on the dangerous chemicals in plastics and called for action, to no avail. Now medical experts on the front lines of the plastic crisis are sounding the alarm ahead of the final round of UN negotiations for a global plastic agreement. The urgent message cannot be ignored: plastic is a threat to human health.
The lack of transparency surrounding the plastics industry has forced academics and campaigners to dig for the facts, and the facts are shocking. About 16,000 chemicals are used in plastics, and so far only 6% are subject to international regulations. Many of these 16,000 chemicals are endocrine disruptors, meaning our hormones and bodily functions are under constant attack when exposed. With a new chemical being developed every 1.4 minutes, our exposure is only going to increase.
The impact of such wholesale disruption cannot be understated. The toxic soup of endocrine disruptors, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates in plastic causes cancer, infertility, heart disease and more. One study estimated that 50,000 people die each year in the United States because the levels of phthalates disrupt their hormones. Recycling, the preferred solution by industry, can actually increase exposure to these chemicals.
The effects on the economy are apparently little known even to those who have the power to effect change. The social costs associated with the tide of plastic chemicals make up 1.22 percent of U.S. gross domestic product—a $250 billion bill for the nation’s health care system.
Perhaps a corporation or financier may think that this number is not their problem for anyone else because their profits will be protected. It is not so. Near-term exposure (2022-30) to corporate liability from plastic-related pollution, including chemical additives, is projected to exceed $20 billion in the US alone. It is this threat to profitability that should be ringing alarm bells in every finance house on Wall Street.
As the world fully awakens to the plastic crisis, there will be lawsuits, legislation, and perhaps even the threat to the bottom line that will move the needle. As a scientist, I’m used to writing peer-reviewed papers thinking it will make a difference, but the reality is that no matter how shocking the science is, it only has an impact if Action should be taken.
We are now beginning to see the beginnings of how conservation can be ensured for future generations. California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, couldn’t have been clearer as he stood at NYU Langone at our Symposium on Plastics and Human Health and said “the public has been manipulated and the consumer has been lied to.” This is a warning to those in the industry who choose to ignore the science and seek to disrupt the UN negotiations for a much-needed global plastic agreement.
A weak agreement that prioritizes recycling and non-binding targets risks failing to address the staggering cost to human health. In response, the Plastic Health Council as well as leading global doctors have expressed their deep concern and warned of the risk of failure if the agreement is not strengthened. Mandatory testing of all chemicals, funding for truly natural alternatives, and (now US-backed) limits on plastic production. These provisions are fundamental and mean real change for generations to come. Only the creation of accountability and corporate risk can protect our health and ultimately our economy.
In this crucial moment, the choice is ours. Where once the science on plastics and its constituent chemicals was suppressed, it is now mainstream. We don’t know everything—but we know enough to recognize the need to act. Having worked in the field for decades, I have seen momentum build and recognize the power of policymakers and consumers. Let’s not miss this opportunity to reshape our relationship with plastic and protect the health of our planet and its inhabitants. It’s time to act.
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