The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics

Philip J. Landrigan; Sarah Dunlop; Marina Treskova; Hervé Raps; Christos Symeonides; Jane Muncke; Margaret Spring; John Stegeman; Bethanie Carney Almroth; Thomas C. Chiles; Maureen Cropper; Megan Deeney; Lizzie Fuller; Roland Geyer; Rachel Karasik; Tiza Mafira; Alexander Mangwiro; Denise Margaret Matias; Yannick Mulders; Yongjoon Park; Costas A. Velis; Roel Vermeulen; Martin Wagner; Zhanyung Wang; Ella M. Whitman; Tracey J. Woodruff; Joacim Rocklöv

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics

Philip J. Landrigan^*
, Sarah Dunlop
, Marina Treskova
, Hervé Raps
, Christos Symeonides
, Jane Muncke
, Margaret Spring
, John Stegeman
, Bethanie Carney Almroth
, Thomas C. Chiles
, Maureen Cropper
, Megan Deeney
, Lizzie Fuller
, Roland Geyer
, Rachel Karasik
, Tiza Mafira
, Alexander Mangwiro
, Denise Margaret Matias
, Yannick Mulders
, Yongjoon Park

Costas A. Velis, Roel Vermeulen, Martin Wagner, Zhanyung Wang, Ella M. Whitman, Tracey J. Woodruff, Joacim Rocklöv

^*Kontaktforfatter

Boston College
Center Scientific De Monaco
The University of Western Australia
Minderoo Foundation
Heidelberg University
Umeå University
The Royal Children's Hospital
Food Packaging Forum Foundation
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
University of Gothenburg
University of Maryland
Resources for the Future
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Sheltering Earth
University of California
Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment
Dietplastik Indonesia
PR3: the Global Alliance to Advance Reuse
Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development
Exchange Programme Asia
Manila Observatory
University of Bonn
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Imperial College London
Utrecht University
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and technology, St. Gallen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding US$1·5 trillion annually. These impacts fall disproportionately upon low-income and at-risk populations. The principal driver of this crisis is accelerating growth in plastic production—from 2 megatonnes (Mt) in 1950, to 475 Mt in 2022 that is projected to be 1200 Mt by 2060. Plastic pollution has also worsened, and 8000 Mt of plastic waste now pollute the planet. Less than 10% of plastic is recycled. Yet, continued worsening of plastics' harms is not inevitable. Similar to air pollution and lead, plastics' harms can be mitigated cost-effectively by evidence-based, transparently tracked, effectively implemented, and adequately financed laws and policies. To address plastics' harms globally, UN member states unanimously resolved in 2022 to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, namely the Global Plastics Treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastic. Coincident with the expected finalisation of this treaty, we are launching an independent, indicator-based global monitoring system: the Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. This Countdown will identify, track, and regularly report on a suite of geographically and temporally representative indicators that monitor progress toward reducing plastic exposures and mitigating plastics' harms to human and planetary health.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	The Lancet
Vol/bind	406
Udgave nummer	10507
Sider (fra-til)	1044-1062
Antal sider	19
ISSN	0140-6736
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3
Status	Udgivet - 6. sep. 2025
Udgivet eksternt	Ja

Bibliografisk note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier Ltd

Finansiering

Minderoo Foundation has funded parts of the meetings and travels involved in the writing of this manuscript of the Lancet Countdown on health and plastic. Additional funding has been provided by Boston College, the Centre Scientifique de Monaco, and Heidelberg University. Furthermore, the Centre Scientifique de Monaco supported the first workshop and March, Ltd. and Heidelberg University, in conjunction with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, supported the second workshop. Additionally, researchers affiliated with the activity receive support for their contributions from specific donors. The Lancet Group takes a neutral position with respect to territorial claims in published maps.

Dokumenter og links

10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

SDU link

Tjek adgangen til materialet i Syddansk Universitetsbiblioteks søgemaskine

Andre filer og links

Link to publication in Scopus

Citationsformater

Landrigan, P. J., Dunlop, S., Treskova, M., Raps, H., Symeonides, C., Muncke, J., Spring, M., Stegeman, J., Almroth, B. C., Chiles, T. C., Cropper, M., Deeney, M., Fuller, L., Geyer, R., Karasik, R., Mafira, T., Mangwiro, A., Matias, D. M., Mulders, Y., ... Rocklöv, J. (2025). The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. The Lancet, 406(10507), 1044-1062. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

@article{3e2682f9ea0f4422947afdca584ccd23,

title = "The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics",

abstract = "Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding US\$1·5 trillion annually. These impacts fall disproportionately upon low-income and at-risk populations. The principal driver of this crisis is accelerating growth in plastic production{\textemdash}from 2 megatonnes (Mt) in 1950, to 475 Mt in 2022 that is projected to be 1200 Mt by 2060. Plastic pollution has also worsened, and 8000 Mt of plastic waste now pollute the planet. Less than 10\% of plastic is recycled. Yet, continued worsening of plastics' harms is not inevitable. Similar to air pollution and lead, plastics' harms can be mitigated cost-effectively by evidence-based, transparently tracked, effectively implemented, and adequately financed laws and policies. To address plastics' harms globally, UN member states unanimously resolved in 2022 to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, namely the Global Plastics Treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastic. Coincident with the expected finalisation of this treaty, we are launching an independent, indicator-based global monitoring system: the Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. This Countdown will identify, track, and regularly report on a suite of geographically and temporally representative indicators that monitor progress toward reducing plastic exposures and mitigating plastics' harms to human and planetary health.",

author = "Landrigan, \{Philip J.\} and Sarah Dunlop and Marina Treskova and Herv{\'e} Raps and Christos Symeonides and Jane Muncke and Margaret Spring and John Stegeman and Almroth, \{Bethanie Carney\} and Chiles, \{Thomas C.\} and Maureen Cropper and Megan Deeney and Lizzie Fuller and Roland Geyer and Rachel Karasik and Tiza Mafira and Alexander Mangwiro and Matias, \{Denise Margaret\} and Yannick Mulders and Yongjoon Park and Velis, \{Costas A.\} and Roel Vermeulen and Martin Wagner and Zhanyung Wang and Whitman, \{Ella M.\} and Woodruff, \{Tracey J.\} and Joacim Rockl{\"o}v",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3",

language = "English",

volume = "406",

pages = "1044--1062",

journal = "The Lancet",

issn = "0140-6736",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "10507",

}

Landrigan, PJ, Dunlop, S, Treskova, M, Raps, H, Symeonides, C, Muncke, J, Spring, M, Stegeman, J, Almroth, BC, Chiles, TC, Cropper, M, Deeney, M, Fuller, L, Geyer, R, Karasik, R, Mafira, T, Mangwiro, A, Matias, DM, Mulders, Y, Park, Y, Velis, CA, Vermeulen, R, Wagner, M, Wang, Z, Whitman, EM, Woodruff, TJ & Rocklöv, J 2025, 'The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics', The Lancet, bind 406, nr. 10507, s. 1044-1062. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics

AU - Landrigan, Philip J.

AU - Dunlop, Sarah

AU - Treskova, Marina

AU - Raps, Hervé

AU - Symeonides, Christos

AU - Muncke, Jane

AU - Spring, Margaret

AU - Stegeman, John

AU - Almroth, Bethanie Carney

AU - Chiles, Thomas C.

AU - Cropper, Maureen

AU - Deeney, Megan

AU - Fuller, Lizzie

AU - Geyer, Roland

AU - Karasik, Rachel

AU - Mafira, Tiza

AU - Mangwiro, Alexander

AU - Matias, Denise Margaret

AU - Mulders, Yannick

AU - Park, Yongjoon

AU - Velis, Costas A.

AU - Vermeulen, Roel

AU - Wagner, Martin

AU - Wang, Zhanyung

AU - Whitman, Ella M.

AU - Woodruff, Tracey J.

AU - Rocklöv, Joacim

PY - 2025/9/6

Y1 - 2025/9/6

N2 - Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding US$1·5 trillion annually. These impacts fall disproportionately upon low-income and at-risk populations. The principal driver of this crisis is accelerating growth in plastic production—from 2 megatonnes (Mt) in 1950, to 475 Mt in 2022 that is projected to be 1200 Mt by 2060. Plastic pollution has also worsened, and 8000 Mt of plastic waste now pollute the planet. Less than 10% of plastic is recycled. Yet, continued worsening of plastics' harms is not inevitable. Similar to air pollution and lead, plastics' harms can be mitigated cost-effectively by evidence-based, transparently tracked, effectively implemented, and adequately financed laws and policies. To address plastics' harms globally, UN member states unanimously resolved in 2022 to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, namely the Global Plastics Treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastic. Coincident with the expected finalisation of this treaty, we are launching an independent, indicator-based global monitoring system: the Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. This Countdown will identify, track, and regularly report on a suite of geographically and temporally representative indicators that monitor progress toward reducing plastic exposures and mitigating plastics' harms to human and planetary health.

AB - Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding US$1·5 trillion annually. These impacts fall disproportionately upon low-income and at-risk populations. The principal driver of this crisis is accelerating growth in plastic production—from 2 megatonnes (Mt) in 1950, to 475 Mt in 2022 that is projected to be 1200 Mt by 2060. Plastic pollution has also worsened, and 8000 Mt of plastic waste now pollute the planet. Less than 10% of plastic is recycled. Yet, continued worsening of plastics' harms is not inevitable. Similar to air pollution and lead, plastics' harms can be mitigated cost-effectively by evidence-based, transparently tracked, effectively implemented, and adequately financed laws and policies. To address plastics' harms globally, UN member states unanimously resolved in 2022 to develop a comprehensive, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, namely the Global Plastics Treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastic. Coincident with the expected finalisation of this treaty, we are launching an independent, indicator-based global monitoring system: the Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. This Countdown will identify, track, and regularly report on a suite of geographically and temporally representative indicators that monitor progress toward reducing plastic exposures and mitigating plastics' harms to human and planetary health.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012559950

U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01447-3

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 40769171

AN - SCOPUS:105012559950

SN - 0140-6736

VL - 406

SP - 1044

EP - 1062

JO - The Lancet

JF - The Lancet

IS - 10507

ER -

The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics

Abstract

Bibliografisk note

Finansiering

Dokumenter og links

SDU link

Andre filer og links

Fingeraftryk

Citationsformater