Plastic pollution is an escalating public health emergency that remains dangerously under-recognized, a global group of scientists and medical experts warned in a landmark report published Sunday in The Lancet. The warning comes just ahead of a pivotal United Nations summit in Switzerland, where delegates from 170 countries will attempt to revive negotiations on a global plastics treaty.
The team of 27 international health experts found that plastics cause disease and harm at every stage of their life cycle — and at every stage of human life, with infants and young children particularly vulnerable to exposure.
“The impact of plastics on human health has been a sleeper issue compared to climate change and air pollution, but evidence is now emerging to show how serious it is,” said Philip Landrigan, the report’s lead author and director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College.
The report outlines a wide range of health risks linked to plastic pollution, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory illness, and weakened immune systems. While the global disease burden is not yet fully quantified, a cited study from last year estimated that just three common plastic-related chemicals cost $1.5 trillion annually in health damage across 38 countries — representing one-third of the world’s population.
One of the most troubling substances, bisphenol A (BPA), was associated with 237,000 ischemic heart disease deaths and 194,000 stroke deaths globally, according to the study led by Maureen Cropper of the University of Maryland.
The urgency of these findings will weigh heavily on negotiators gathering in Geneva this week. Talks to finalize a global plastics treaty collapsed in South Korea last December, largely due to resistance from fossil fuel–producing nations — including Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran — to cap the production of virgin plastics. Over 100 countries had supported such limits.
While expectations for a breakthrough on production caps remain low, observers hope the Geneva round will make progress on phasing out harmful plastic products and chemicals, a proposal that now enjoys broader international support. Notably, Brazil has played a more constructive role in this effort, despite remaining cautious on production restrictions.
Landrigan called on global leaders to “create meaningful and effective international co-operation in response to this global crisis.” He emphasized that the group is not calling for a total plastics ban, but rather urging a distinction between essential uses — such as medical applications — and frivolous single-use plastics, which account for 40% of all production.
The Lancet report also coincides with the launch of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics, an independent monitoring initiative designed to track the global health impacts of plastic pollution over time.
With the Trump administration continuing to resist binding global environmental agreements, expectations for U.S. leadership in Geneva remain muted. Still, Landrigan said the international community “has an obligation to press ahead” regardless of geopolitical divisions.
As negotiations resume, momentum is building around a health-centered approach to plastic policy, signaling a shift in how governments and scientists alike frame the crisis — no longer just an environmental issue, but a global public health emergency.
