Global Plastics Treaty faces failure without data. Scientists warn.

A new study in the journal *Science* warns that the Global Plastics Treaty, a major international effort to curb plastic pollution, is at risk of failing. The reason: a critical lack of reliable data. Researchers publishing in the July 2026 issue of *Science* (Volume 393, Issue 6807) argue that countries cannot enforce or monitor the treaty without better information. Currently, there are huge gaps in data on how much plastic is produced, where it ends up, and how it breaks down. Without this basic information, nations cannot track their own progress. They also cannot hold other countries accountable for meeting treaty goals. The study calls for a global system to collect and share standardized data on plastic production, use, and disposal. The authors stress that bridging these data gaps is not just a technical issue. It is a political necessity. If the treaty is to succeed, they say, countries must first agree on what to measure and how to measure it.