Plastics have come to symbolize the lifestyle and technological advancements of the 20th century, representing modern convenience and progress. In recent years, global plastic production surpassed 360 million tons in 2018 and is projected to reach between 500 and 600 million metric tons by 2025. This plastic accumulates as waste in freshwater, marine and land environments, leading to habitat disruption, alterations in nutrient cycles and harm to wildlife through exposure to toxic substances, entanglement and ingestion which pose significant ecological and health risks. The long-term ecological changes resulting from this pollution are likely irreversible. Developing countries in the Global South, including Bangladesh, are particularly vulnerable to the challenges of poorly managed plastic waste due to a lack of institutional, financial and technical resources to combat plastic pollution. The Aquatic Zoology Research Group has focused on addressing plastic pollution in Bangladesh and adopted a comprehensive strategy to tackle plastic pollution, starting with identifying the issue through various methods, followed by a thorough assessment of the plastic pollution situation and finally proposing solutions for mitigation. Our review of the current state of plastic pollution in Bangladesh’s aquatic systems highlighted significant research gaps, despite the country’s early ban on plastic bags. As a conservation research team from a developing nation facing the severe impacts of plastic pollution, we studied and listed specific expectations for the upcoming INC 5.2 meeting, highlighting challenges faced by many similar countries. We hope that INC 5.2 will move beyond mere statements to implement concrete and equitable actions.

Festivities, holidays and celebrations are often associated with unsustainability and high environmental impact. Examples include unsustainable overconsumption and waste during Christmas, Ramadan and during the Chinese New Years celebrations among many others. Microplastics (i.e., plastic fragments 5 mm) have also become a significant environmental concern during these periods. Common non-essential festive items like glitter, confetti, balloons and other decorations along with glitter used in cosmetic products contribute to microplastic pollution, potentially causing adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Despite overwhelming evidence of the adverse impacts of microplastics on human and environmental health, how non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations will be addressed within the Global Plastics Treaty remains unclear. Although the draft Global Plastics Treaty text includes non-essential plastic items such as balloons and rinse-off microbeads in cosmetics, no other decorative or aesthetic use of microplastics have been included. Whilst the inclusions of non-essential plastics are commendable, we argue that further inclusions be made for non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations within the Global Plastics Treaty.

The escalating presence of microplastics (<5 mm) in drinking water presents urgent environmental and health challenges, yet the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Global Plastics Treaty draft texts, including UNEP/PP/INC.5/4 and the Chair’s Text, lack robust provisions to address this issue. This Letter to the Editor analyzes deficiencies in the treaty’s approach, identifying critical gaps in standardized terminology, globally consistent monitoring methodologies, comprehensive source control and enforceable international regulations. Leveraging insights from California’s innovative microplastics monitoring framework, which employs spectroscopy-based detection and provisional health thresholds, we highlight scalable solutions for global policy. Key obstacles include technological disparities, economic reliance on plastic production, limited toxicological data and geopolitical barriers to unified action. We propose targeted strategies for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), including adopting precise microplastics definitions, establishing universal detection protocols, regulating both primary and secondary microplastic sources and supporting research and capacity-building in low-resource regions. These measures aim to enhance the treaty’s ability to mitigate microplastic pollution in drinking water, fostering science-driven global cooperation to protect ecosystems and public health.