Plastics and chemical producers need to find more effective ways to tackle the problem of plastic waste after UN treaty negotiations ended without agreement at the weekend. 

-          Consumer demand will drive improvements in plastic waste management

-          Chemical companies need to reconnect with brands/consumers

-          We will move out of the current ‘trough of despair’ about recycling 

-          End of globalization may mean national/regional treaties are more effective

-          UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee concluded in Busan, South Korea, on 1 December, with no definitive agreement

-          Around 100 countries backed proposals, with a small number of hold-outs