PLASTICS, HEALTH, AND ONE PLANET

Plastic pollution is not only an environmental issue—it is a growing global health crisis. Plastics are leaking into and harming water and land-based ecosystems. As a result, micro- and nanoplastics (MnPs) are now entering our bodies too, exposing people and animals everywhere to potentially serious health risks. They are found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. The potential negative impacts on major organ systems of the human body are wideranging and long-lasting, with evidence of their severity continuing to emerge.

This pollution by microscopic plastic particles is not only a physical threat, it is also a chemical one. In addition to the plastic particles themselves, toxic additives and other chemicals added to plastics are increasingly linked to a wide range of health impacts, from infertility and cancer to respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, and impaired childhood development.

These harms are not confined to humans, but are mirrored across ecosystems, where plastic pollutants and their associated chemicals are harming wildlife and livestock, triggering biological disruptions through similar mechanisms to those seen in humans. Understanding the health impacts of plastic pollution requires a One Health approach, which recognises the deep interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health. Studies on both humans and animals have been instrumental in revealing how plastics can cause harm, underscoring that plastic pollution is a systemic threat to the health of all living beings and the ecosystems we share.

Global and national regulations have yet to catch up with the rapidly emerging scientific evidence. While research continues to evolve, several studies already show consistent and concerning links between many plastic additives and serious health effects. Some of the most concerning include endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates and bisphenols, which interfere with reproductive hormones and brain development, and PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)—known as “forever chemicals”—that are linked to cancer, immune suppression, and metabolic disease. These risks are especially concerning during pregnancy and childhood, where early exposure may lead to lasting or even multigenerational health effects.

This growing body of evidence must serve as a foundation for strong, sciencebased legislation to minimise exposure to MnPs and the toxic chemicals currently found in many plastics. Adopting the precautionary principle—taking action where credible risks are identified, even in the absence of absolute scientific certainty— is essential to avoid long-term harm. The Montreal Protocol offers a powerful precedent: by phasing out ozone-depleting substances (chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs), based on emerging scientific evidence, governments prevented millions of cases of skin cancer1 and facilitated the restoration of the ozone layer.

Plastic pollution transcends borders. The production, use, and disposal of plastics form a global value chain, and the resulting pollution, including MnPs and plastic-related chemicals of concern, spans continents.

Tackling this complex and interconnected crisis requires coordinated global action: no single country can solve it alone. Given the pervasive presence of plastics in our daily lives and widespread plastic pollution, global action— grounded in the latest scientific research and a One Health approach—is urgently needed. Such an approach can provide a globally-harmonised response to address the plastic crisis, not only protecting our ecosystems and biodiversity but also greatly reducing health risks now and in the future.

As momentum builds for a much-needed and legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution, it is vital that health impacts are front and centre of the negotiations. WWF urges governments and negotiators to seize this moment and deliver an effective and ambitious global plastics treaty that protects both people and the planet. Governments must agree on a treaty that delivers real change. This means securing global bans and phase-outs of the most harmful and avoidable plastic products and the chemicals of concern they contain.

The longer we delay, the higher the costs. A treaty that tackles plastic pollution at its source is not only environmentally essential, but a public health imperative. Now is the time for bold, coordinated global action.