Summary

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, Marcos Orellana, examines the current and future negative implications of the various stages of the plastics cycle for the enjoyment of human rights. The ever-increasing plastics production, incineration and waste dumping only aggravate the detrimental consequences. Toxic chemicals are commonly added to plastics, causing serious risks and harms to human rights and the environment. The Special Rapporteur puts forward recommendations aimed at addressing the negative consequences of plastics on human rights and integrating a human rights-based approach in the transition to a chemically safe circular economy.