Rethinking Plastics: Unveiling Global Environmental Impacts

**Plastic pollution is a pervasive global issue, affecting the Earth system at large.** This new research leverages the planetary boundaries framework to examine the impacts of plastics throughout their life cycle—from raw material extraction to environmental release. The study showcases how plastic pollution exacerbates global problems like climate change and biodiversity loss, and how only a small fraction gets recycled annually. **Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez and the international team highlight the vast chemical complexity of plastics, including harmful endocrine disruptors and 'forever chemicals'.** The study underscores the necessity of considering these complexities rather than viewing plastics merely as waste. **Associate Professor Sarah Cornell** explains that the research shows how plastics destabilize the Earth system, suggesting a new set of control variables to understand plastics pollution more effectively. The available evidence clarifies plastics' role in systemic environmental problems and calls for broad policy changes as the international Plastics Treaty negotiations conclude. **This research aims to tackle plastics' material flows and impacts, accounting for the full spectrum of safety and sustainability.**