PEOPLE
VS

PLASTIC!
GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR A
STRONG PLASTICS TREATY

Plastic pollution has flooded our planet. Pollution from plastics
touches every corner of the globe reaching the deepest parts of
our oceans,1 the highest mountain peaks2 and even contaminating
our rainwater.3 Plastics harm multiple ecosystems at every stageof their life cycle, damaging people’s health, accelerating social
injustice, destroying biodiversity and fueling the climate crisis.
Strong public concern about the scale of the plastics problem4 led tothe initiation of the Global Plastics Treaty in 2022, which included a
mandate to address the full life cycle of plastic.5
The negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty6 are a historic
opportunity to achieve a comprehensive international response to
the scale of the global plastics crisis by turning off the plastics tap
and finally ending the age of plastic.
Why cut plastics production? We cannot end plastic pollution
without reducing the production of plastics.7 This could not be moreurgent – the amount of plastic made by petrochemical corporations
is increasing every year. More than half of all the plastics everproduced have been made since the year 2000, and if the industry
has its way, plastic production could double within the next 10-15
years, and triple by 2050.8
Plastics are making the climate crisis worse – 99% of plastics are
made from fossil fuels. The single-use plastics made in 2021 released
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the total emissions of theentire United Kingdom, and most of these emissions come fromplastic production.9 Therefore we cannot tackle the climate crisis,and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to align with the global targetof 1.5°C, without reducing the production of plastic. Greenpeaceis proposing that the Global Plastics Treaty establishes a target to
reduce plastic production by at least 75% by 2040 (from a 2019baseline10), to ensure the best chance of meeting the 1.5°C target,
protect biodiversity and address the full life cycle impacts of plastic.
In the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations political leaders musthave the courage to confront the fossil fuel industry and represent
the will of the people to protect human health, the climate
and biodiversity.

© Kevin McElvaney / Greenpeace© Giuseppe Lanotte / Greenpeace

BUT HOW MUCH PUBLIC SUPPORT IS
THERE TO REDUCE PLASTIC PRODUCTION?
TO FIND OUT, GREENPEACE
COMMISSIONED A GLOBAL SURVEY.

THIS REPORT PRESENTS WHAT WE FOUND, AND
ANALYSES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FINDINGS.

3

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty© Noel Guevara / Greenpeace

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The results of this survey demonstrate that thereis overwhelming public support for the Global
Plastics Treaty to cut plastic production, end singleuse plastics and advance reuse-based solutions.
Conducted in 19 countries with over 19,000
respondents, the survey shows strong support for
cutting the production of plastic, at over 8 in 10
people (82%11), and for protecting biodiversity andthe climate by cutting plastics production (at 80%11).
As many as 9 out of 10 people (90%12) support atransition away from single-use plastic packaging
to reusable and refillable packaging, while 75%11
support a ban on single-use plastic. Likewise,
80% of people are concerned13 about the impacts ofplastic on the health of their loved ones and 84% ofparents are concerned about these impacts on thehealth of their children.

The high level of support for ambitious action on
plastics is similar across all the countries surveyed,
but particularly strong in most of the Global South
countries where plastic pollution levels are higher.
Support for all the statements was well above 50%,
with the lowest percentage still at 60%,11 in support
of a statement that lobbyists from the fossil fuelindustry and chemical industries should not beallowed to take part in negotiations, for the Global
Plastics Treaty to be successful.
The overwhelming show of public support sends astrong message to the Goverments negotiating the
Global Plastics Treaty – the public expects politicalleaders to address pollution from the full life cycle ofplastics, by cutting plastic production and banning
single-use plastics. A failure to do so will carry
political consequences.
4

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

NORWAYCANADAUK
USA

GERMANY
AUSTRIA

JAPAN

CHINA
EGYPT

MEXICOUAE

INDIA
MALAYSIA

SOUTH KOREATHAILANDPHILIPPINESINDONESIA

BRAZIL
SOUTH AFRICA

METHODOLOGY AND
COUNTRIES INCLUDED
The research was conducted by Censuswide14,
from a sample of 19,088 members of the publicin the UK, USA, Canada, India, Brazil, Egypt,
Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines,
Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, China,
United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Austria, andNorway. The data was collected between 16th
- 26th February 2024.15 Censuswide abides by
and employs members of the Market ResearchSociety and follows the MRS code of conduct16

and ESOMAR17 principles. Censuswide is also amember of the British Polling Council.
An online quantitative methodology was used tocollect the data for this survey, using double opt-in
panels to ensure validity. This approach allows
respondents to feel comfortable expressing theirviews anonymously.
A total of seven questions were asked, with arange of multiple choice answers for respondents
to select from.

5

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty© Nandakumar S. Haridas / Greenpeace

RESULTS
The most significant finding is that over 8 out of
10 respondents agree that to stop plastic pollution
we need to cut plastic production (82%11). 8 out
of 10 people (80%18) also support an agreementin the Global Plastics Treaty to reduce plastics
production in order to stop biodiversity loss andlimit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Threequarters of people (75%11) agree on the need toban single-use plastics.

Also just over 8 in 10 people (81%) are more
likely19 to use reusable and refillable packaging if
it were more convenient, and cost effective.
More than half of respondents (60%11) agree
that lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemicalindustries should not be allowed to take part in
the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
Over 8 in 10 (84%) of parents surveyed areconcerned13 about the adverse health effects ofplastics on their children’s health. A large majorityof people are also concerned about the effects ofplastic on their own health (77%), with even moreconcerned about impacts on the health of their
loved ones (80%).

9 out of 10 (90%12) of the people surveyed
believe it is important that the Global Plastics
Treaty includes targets that oblige governments
and corporations to transition away fromsingle-use plastic packaging to reusable andrefillable packaging.

6

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q1

REDUCTION

Q1

To stop plastic pollution, we need to cut plastic production.

82% AGREE

Q2

Q2

52%

30%

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

10%

4% 2%

Neither
agree nordisagreeDisagree/Don’t know/
Not sure

EACH

To what extent would you support or oppose the Global Plastics
Treaty agreeing a reduction in plastic production, in order to stop
biodiversity loss and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius?

80% SUPPORT

Q1 b

Q3

48%

32%

Strongly support

Somewhat support

16%

2%
EACH

Neither support Somewhat
nor oppose
oppose/Strongly
opposeThe Global Plastics Treaty must ban single-use plastic packaging.

75% AGREE
44%

31%

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

7

14%

5% 3%

Neither agree
nor disagree

Disagree Don’t
know/
Not
sure

EACH

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

REUSE

Q4

Q4

How important or not important do you believe it is that the
Global Plastics Treaty includes targets that oblige governments
and corporations to transition away from single-use plastic
packaging to reusable and refillable packaging?

90% IMPORTANT

Q5

Q5

32%

37%

20%

Essential

Very important

Fairly important

5% 2% 3%Don’t
Not very
important/ know/
Not at all Not
important sure

How much more likely/less likely would you be to use reusable
and refillable packaging (e.g. reusable coffee cup, cleaningproducts and personal care products to refill at home or in store)
if it was more convenient?

81% MORE LIKELY
49%

32%

14%

3% 2%

Much more likely

Somewhat more likely

Neither moreor less likely

Somewhatless likely\
Much moreless likely

8

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

FOSSIL FUELS

Q3

Q6

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following
statement: In order for the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations
to be successful, lobbyist from the fossil fuel and chemicalindustries should not be allowed to take part.

60% AGREE
29%

31%

25%

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Neither agree
nor disagree

9%5%Somewhat Strongly
disagree disagree

HEALTHQ6

Q7

How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse
health effects of plastics on the health of your loved ones?

80% CONCERNED
51%

29%

Very concerned

Quite concerned

9

12%

4% 2%

Not particularly Not at allconcerned\
concerned
Don’t know
Not sure

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty© Kevin McElvaney / Greenpeace

DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS
In every country surveyed, the majority of people
support, or strongly support, ambitious measures
for the Global Plastics Treaty to address the plastics
pollution problem, including measures to cut the
production of plastics, and to ban single-use plastics.

plastic waste imports in 2018.22 Exports of plastic
waste to Mexico also increased from 2018 to
2021 by 121%, despite the entry into force of the
Plastics Amendment to the Basel Convention in
January 2021.23 Thailand is also receiving importsof waste plastic; the biggest exporter in 2023 is theUSA, followed by Japan, Mexico and Canada.24

Analysing the question about support measures
to cut the production of plastics, we can see
some differences between countries. The lowest
level of support11 was in Japan (at 68% with the
US slightly higher at 69%) and the highest level
was the Philippines at 93%, followed by China
at 92%. Support for this measure in the majority
of countries (12 out of 19, all in the Global Southapart from Austria) was over 80%, while all but oneof the countries with under 80% support for thismeasure were from the Global North.20

In several countries there is a significant disconnect
between the level of public support for cutting
plastic production and the position of theirgovernments on the Treaty. For example, the Indianand Chinese governments oppose limiting the
production of plastics, and the Brazilian government
does not specify its support for this measure,25
compared to overwhelming public support11 in
China of 92%, 89% in Brazil, and 86% in India.

In general, there is a notable difference between
responses from the Global North and the Global
South. In six countries support for all of thestatements is below the global average. These are
all wealthy countries with advanced consumer
societies in the Global North: Canada, Germany,
Japan, Norway, UK and the US. Conversely, six
countries where respondents consistently scoreabove the global average are all in the Global South:
China, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines
and Thailand. Global South countries are lesslikely to have the infrastructure to deal withplastic waste,21 whether it’s generated within the
country or originating from other countries. Many
countries in the Global South continue to receive
shipments of plastic waste from the Global North.
Malaysia became one of the biggest importersof plastic waste in Asia after China backed out of

The findings presented here reinforce theresponses to a survey conducted for WWF by Ipsos
in November 2022. The WWF survey covered adifferent selection of countries, and although
not all of the questions are comparable, a similar
question about banning single-use plastics was
asked.26 The comparison is interesting: in thesurvey for WWF “A global average of 75% of
people in the countries surveyed believe that it
is important (very important 40% + important34%) to have global rules banning unnecessary
single-use plastics”. This is an identical result toa similar question in our survey, where 75% of
people surveyed agreed with the statement: ‘The
Global Plastics Treaty must ban single-use plastic
packaging’, with slightly more agreeing strongly,
at 44%, and 31% somewhat agreeing.

10

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE 5 GYRES INSTITUTE. FOR MORE INFOABOUT THE WORK THE INSTITUTE DOES GO TO http://www.5gyres.org

CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONSThe survey results could not be clearer –people around the world are demanding thatgovernments take bold action to reduce plastic
production and end single use plastics to protect
human health, the climate and biodiversity.
This support is similar across all the countries
surveyed, but particularly strong in most of the
Global South countries. It shows that people
care about plastic pollution and that they expect
political leaders to take action. People areconcerned not only about the environmental
impacts of plastics, but the threat that plastics poseto their health and the health of their loved ones.

biodiversity loss, and harms communities andworkers living near production sites and landfills.
The majority of respondents also agreed that a ban
on single use plastic packaging is needed. While allplastics are problematic when considered from awhole life cycle approach — due to the large-scaleuse of plastic in today’s society, it is imperativethat we eliminate problematic plastic products
first, particularly where safer, more sustainable,
and circular substitutes exist. The survey showedthat most people overwhelmingly support better
alternatives, such as reuse and refill businessmodels, and are also prepared to shift to them, sothat single use plastics can be phased out. Any new
business models must prioritise the interests ofaffected communities such as Indigenous Peoples
and advance traditional knowledge.

A large majority of people support reducing the
production of plastic to address our dependency
on fossil fuels, which drives climate change,

11

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR GOVERNMENTS NEGOTIATINGTHE GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY
United Nations Member states agreed in UNEA
Resolution 5/1427 to negotiate a Treaty basedon a comprehensive approach that addresses
the full life cycle of plastic, including achieving‘sustainable production’. The work of leading
scientists shows that ‘sustainable production’can only mean less production.28 Our survey
demonstrates that an overwhelming majority ofthe public understand this and support necessary
cuts to plastics production, which the fossil fuellobby is working hard to prevent.29 A clear majorityof people also agreed that there should be no placeat the table for industry lobbyists whose interests
conflict with an effective Plastics Treaty.

marine pollution, and for Treaty obligations to be
voluntary and set at the national level. Based on
the results of this polling and others30 we know
the public expects much more. And while higher
ambition countries are calling for measures toreduce demand for plastic, including bans oncertain problematic and avoidable products,
globally agreed restrictions on the supply ofplastic polymers will be necessary to align with
the Paris Climate agreement31 and achieve peakplastic consumption by 2050.32
This is why governments must seize this historic
opportunity to establish a global target to phasedown the production of plastic based on theprovisions in the revised zero draft of the Treaty
text33 and deliver a just transition away from all
virgin production capacity – ensuring sustainable
livelihoods, empowering workers, prioritising theinterests of waste pickers, Indigenous peoples,
frontline communities, women and otherdisproportionately affected groups.

Addressing plastic production is the single mostimportant element for achieving this mandateand has been a core fight of the Plastics Treaty
process. Low ambition countries have echoed
talking points from the fossil fuel industry andpushed for a Treaty that focuses exclusively
on waste management measures, addressing

RECOMMENDATIONS
It’s critical for governments to listen to their people and ensure a strong outcome to the Global Plastics
Treaty, as follows:34

1

2
3

END PLASTIC POLLUTION – FROM PRODUCTION TO DISPOSAL– TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTHSET A LEGALLY-BINDING TARGET TO REDUCE PLASTICPRODUCTION BY AT LEAST 75% BY 2040 TO STAY BELOW 1.5° C.
END SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, STARTING WITH THE WORST
OFFENDING ITEMS SUCH AS PLASTIC SACHETS.

4

ENSURE A JUST AND INCLUSIVE TRANSITION TO A
LOW-CARBON, ZERO-WASTE, REUSE-BASED ECONOMY

5BE FIRMLY ROOTED IN A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH THATREDUCES INEQUALITY, PRIORITISES HUMAN HEALTH, AND CENTRESJUSTICE IN ITS CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION.
12

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

ENDNOTES
1 S
 anae Chiba S. et.al., (2018), Human footprint in the abyss: 30 year recordsof deep-sea plastic debris, Marine Policy, Volume 96, 2018, Pages 204-212,
ISSN 0308-597X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.03.022.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17305195#!

13 ‘Very concerned’ and ‘Somewhat concerned’ responses combined
14 Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market ResearchSociety and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles
Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

2 N
 apper I.E. et.al. (2020), Reaching New Heights in Plastic Pollution—Preliminary Findings of Microplastics on Mount Everest, 50 One Earth Volume
3, Issue 5, P621-630, November 20, 2020.
https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)305509?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.
com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2590332220305509%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

15 Link to English version of final survey as it went out to the 19 countries:
https://sv.censuswide.com/survey/j13067cwmpuktest
16 The MRS code of conduct is advice from the leading British research
institution on how to carry out good quality research
17 The ESOMAR principles are a European set of directives to set essential
standards of ethical and professional conduct designed to maintain publicconfidence in research.

3 F leming, S. (2020), Scientists find plastic pollution in therain and in the air we breathe, World Economic Forum,
31st July 2020; https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/
scientists-find-plastic-pollution-in-the-rain-and-in-the-air-we-breathe/

18 ‘Strongly support’ and ‘Somewhat support’ responses combined

4 More than two million people signed a petition supporting a Global
Plastics Treaty; greenpeace.org/PlasticsTreaty

19 Much more likely’ and ‘Somewhat more likely’ responses combined
20 The Global South and the Global North is a terminology that distinguishes
not only between political systems or degrees of poverty, but between
the victims and the benefactors of global capitalism; https://www.ipbes.
net/glossary-tag/global-north-global-south

5 T he United Nations Environment Assembly adopted UNEA Resolution 5/14
in March 2022
6 T he fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee
Global Plastics Treaty (INC-4) will take place at the end of April 2024 in
Ottawa, Canada. UN Environment Programme, Intergovernmental Commission on Plastic Pollution, Fourth Session (INC-4); https://www.unep.
org/inc-plastic-pollution/session-4

21 OECD (2022), Plastic pollution is growing relentlessly as waste management and recycling fall short, says OECD, 22 February 2022;
https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly-as-waste-management-and-recycling-fall-short.htm

7 E uropean Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) (2024), Update on
the EASAC Plastics Report: Towards a Plastics Treaty, 1 February 2024;
https://easac.eu/publications/details/update-on-the-easac-plastics-reporttowards-a-plastics-treaty

22 Statistica (2023), Which Countries Export & Import Plastic Waste?, by
Katharina Buchholz, 31 May 2023
https://www.statista.com/chart/18229/
biggest-exporters-of-plastic-waste-and-scrap/

GRID-Arendal (2024). Climate impacts of plastics: Global actions to stem
climate change and end plastic pollution. Norway; https://gridarendal-website-live.s3.amazonaws.com/production/documents/:s_document/1076/
original/ClimateImpactsOfPlastics.pdf?1709631241

23 GAIA (2023), Organizaciones civiles presentan plataforma sobre el colonialismo de la basura plástica y su uso como combustible en México, 17 April
2023 (in Spanish);https://www.no-burn.org/es/
plataforma-sobre-el-colonialismo-dela-basura-plastica-en-mexico/

CIEL (2023), Reducing plastic production to achieve climate goals; key considerations for climate negotiations, September 2023; https://www.ciel.org/
wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Reducing-Plastic-Production-to-Achieve-Climate-Goals_Sept21_V5.pdf

24 Trade data on plastic waste imports to Thailand 2023, obtained by Greenpeace SEAsia.
25 China does not support limiting the production of plastics; https://resolutions.unep.org/resolutions/uploads/china_13092023_a.pdf. India
states there should be no binding targets with respect to productionof plastic polymers; https://resolutions.unep.org/resolutions/uploads/
india_15092023_a.pdf. Brazil does not specify support for cutting the
production of plastics; https://resolutions.unep.org/resolutions/uploads/
brazil_a.pdf

Numerous scientists: Cirino et.al. (2023), Assessing benefits and risks
of incorporating plastic waste in construction materials, Front. Built
Environ., 05 July 2023, Sec. Sustainable Design and Construction, Volume
9 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1206474; SCIENCE (2022),
Letter - A global Plastics Treaty must cap production, 28 Apr 2022, Vol
376, Issue 6592, pp. 469-470, DOI: 10.1126/science.abq0082; and reports,
including, for example, the Economist Impact /Nippon Foundation, Peakplastics: bending the overconsumption curve https://backtoblueinitiative.
com/plastics-consumption/; Landrigan et.al. (2023), The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Annals of Global
Health, 89(1), p.23.DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4056 (supported byLandrigan (2023), The Global Plastics Treaty, why is it needed, The Lancet
medical journal, Published: 17, 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S01406736(23)02198-0), and more.

26 WWF International and the Plastic Free Foundation (2022), Rising Tides
II: Public opinion overwhelmingly supports global rules to end plastic
pollution, February 2022; https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/wp-content/
uploads/2022/12/RISING-TIDES-II_2022_v4-WEB.pdf
27 The United Nations Environment Assembly adopted UNEA Resolution 5/14
in March 2022
28 See endnote 7, European Academies Science Advisory Council and others

8 W
 orld Economic Forum (2016), The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking thefuture of plastics, January 2016; http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_
New_Plastics_Economy.pdf

29 Plastics News (2024), ACC pushes back against virgin resin caps in treaty
talks,Steve Toloken, 8 February 2024; https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/
acc-says-plastics-treaty-should-stay-centered-waste-not-production-caps

9 Minderoo Foundation. Plastic Waste Makers Index 2023.

30 WWF International and the Plastic Free Foundation (2022) op.cit. ADD
Oceana (which survey is this?)

10 Production of 2019: 460 MMT in: Pacific Environment, Stemming the
Plastic-Climate Crisis; https://www.pacificenvironment.org/wp-content/
uploads/2023/05/Stemming-the-Plastic-Climate-Crisis-1.pdf

31 Systemiq (2023), Towards Ending Plastic Pollution by 2040, 15 Global Policy
Interventions for Systems Change
https://www.systemiq.earth/towards-ending-plastic-pollution-by-2040/

Greenpeace International (2023) Why Greenpeace is calling on governments to cut plastic production by at least 75% by 2040, 10 October 2023;
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/62928/why-greenpeace-iscalling-on-governments-to-cut-plastic-production-by-at-least-75-by-2040/

32 Back to Blue, Peak plastics: bending the consumption curve; https://backtoblueinitiative.com/plastics-consumption/

Greenpeace International (2023), Brief: Establishing a global plastic production target in line with 1.5°C; https://docs.google.com/
document/d/1rjb0-M0nNIIztUQcoMab301f7pvn3Wd-tI38lqkk9us/
edit?usp=sharing

33 UNEP (2023), Zero draft text of the international legally binding instrumenton plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, 4 September
2023; https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/43239/ZERODRAFT.pdf

11 ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ responses combined

34 Greenpeace demands for a global plastics treaty; https://www.greenpeace.
org/international/global-plastics-treaty/

12 ‘Essential’, ‘Very important’, and ‘Fairly important’ responses combined
13

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

APPENDIXFULL QUESTIONNAIRE WITH OVERVIEWOF RESULTS OF ALL COUNTRIES
Q1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement:
To stop plastic pollution, we need to cut plastic production.

Over 8 in 10 (82%) respondents agree* with the statement: ‘To stop plastic pollution, we need to cut
plastic production’ 1. Of these, over half (52%) strongly agree, and 3 in 10 (30%) somewhat agree. This iscompared with just over 1 in 20 (6%) who disagree** with this statement.
* ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ answers combined.
** ‘Strongly disagree’ and ‘Somewhat disagree’ answers combined.
1 	Full question text; ‘The global production and consumption of plastics has increased exponentially in recent years. This has led to severe problems withplastic pollution worldwide. To solve these, the United Nations has brought together governments from around the world to negotiate a Global Plastics
Treaty. They are currently discussing reducing plastic production and banning single-use plastics' via this global treaty. To what extent do you agree ordisagree with the following statements’14

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q2. To what extent would you support or oppose the Global Plastics Treaty
agreeing a reduction in plastic production, in order to stop biodiversity loss
and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius?

• 8 in 10 (80%) respondents would support* the Global Plastics Treaty agreeing a reduction in plastic
production in order to stop biodiversity loss and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius1. Of these,
almost half (48%) strongly support this, and just under a third (32%) somewhat support this. This iscompared with just under 1 in 20 (4%) who oppose** this.
* ‘Strongly support’ and ‘Somewhat support’ answers combined.
** ‘Strongly oppose’ and ‘Somewhat oppose’ answers combined.
1 	Full question text; It’s widely recognized that to prevent worsening and potentially irreversible effects of climate change, the world’s average temperature
should not exceed that of preindustrial times by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). To what extent would you support or oppose the
Global Plastics Treaty agreeing a reduction in plastic production, in order to stop biodiversity loss and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius?

15

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q3. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement:
The Global Plastics Treaty must ban single-use plastic packaging• Three quarters (75%) of respondents agree* with the statement: ‘The Global Plastics Treaty must ban
single-use plastic packaging’ 1. Of these, over 4 in 10 (44%) strongly agree, and just over 3 in 10 (31%)
somewhat agree. This is compared with under 1 in 10 (8%) who disagree** with this statement.
* ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ answers combined.
** ‘Strongly disagree’ and ‘Somewhat disagree’ answers combined.
1	Full question text; ‘The global production and consumption of plastics has increased exponentially in recent years. This has led to severe problems withplastic pollution worldwide. To solve these, the United Nations has brought together governments from around the world to negotiate a Global Plastics
Treaty. They are currently discussing reducing plastic production and banning single-use plastics' via this global treaty. To what extent do you agree ordisagree with the following statements’16

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q4. How important or not important do you believe it is that the Global Plastics
Treaty includes targets that oblige governments and corporations to transition
away from single-use plastic packaging to reusable and refillable packaging?

• 9 in 10 (90%) respondents believe it is important* that the Global Plastics Treaty includes targets thatoblige governments and corporations to transition away from single-use plastic packaging to reusable
and refillable packaging. Of these, just under a third (32%) think this is essential, just under 4 in 10(37%) think this is very important, and a fifth (20%) think this is fairly important. This is comparedwith under 1 in 10 (7%) who do not think this is important**.
*‘Essential’, ‘Very important’ and ‘Fairly important’ answers combined.
**‘Not at all important’ and ‘Not very important’ answers combined.

17

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q5a. How much more likely/less likely would you be to use reusable andrefillable packaging (e.g. reusable coffee cup, cleaning products and personalcare products to refill at home or in store) if: If it was more convenient• Just over 8 in 10 (81%) respondents would be more likely* to use reusable and refillable packaging if it
was more convenient. Of these, almost half (49%) would be much more likely, whilst almost a third (32%)
would be somewhat more likely. This is compared with 1 in 20 (5%) who would be less likely** to do so.
* ‘Much more likely’ and ‘Somewhat more likely’ answers combined.
** ‘Much more less likely’ and ‘Somewhat less likely’ answers combined.

18

People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q5b How much more likely/less likely would you be to use reusable andrefillable packaging (e.g. reusable coffee cup, cleaning products and personalcare products to refill at home or in store) if: If it was more cost effective• Just over 8 in 10 (81%) respondents would be more likely* to use reusable and refillable packaging if it
was more cost effective. Of these, just over half (51%) would be much more likely, whilst 3 in 10 (30%)
would be somewhat more likely. This is compared with 1 in 20 (5%) who would be less likely** to do so.
* ‘Much more likely’ and ‘Somewhat more likely’ answers combined.
** ‘Much more less likely’ and ‘Somewhat less likely’ answers combined.

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People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q6. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: In orderfor the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations to be successful, lobbyists from thefossil fuel and chemical industries should not be allowed to take part

• 6 in 10 (60%) respondents agree* with the statement: ‘In order for the Global Plastics Treaty
negotiations to be successful, lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry and chemical industries should
not be allowed to take part .’1 Of these, almost 3 in 10 (29%) strongly agree, and just over 3 in 10 (31%)
somewhat agree. This is compared with just under 1 in 6 (15%) who disagree** with this statement.
* ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ answers combined.
** ‘Strongly disagree’ and ‘Somewhat disagree’ answers combined.
1 	Full question text; 143 fossil fuel and chemical company lobbyists registered for the most recent Global Plastics Treaty meeting . This is more than the
70 smallest country delegations together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “In order for the Global Plastics Treaty
negotiations to be successful, lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries should not be allowed to take part”

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People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q7a. How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse healtheffects of plastics on the following? Your children’s health• Over 8 in 10 (84%) parents surveyed are concerned* about the adverse health effects of plastics on theirchildren’s health1. Of these, nearly 6 in 10 (59%) are very concerned. This is compared with over 1 in 10(13%) who are not concerned** about this.
* ‘Very concerned’ and ‘Quite concerned’ answers combined.
** ‘Not at all concerned’ and ‘Not particularly concerned’ answers combined.
1 	Full question text; Plastic fragments and chemicals used in plastics have been found in the food we eat, the air we breathe, in breast milk and even in our
blood and internal organs. How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse health effects of plastics on the following?

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People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q7b. How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse healtheffects of plastics on the following? Your own health• Almost 8 in 10 (77%) respondents are concerned* about the adverse health effects of plastics on theirown health1. Of these, almost half (48%) are very concerned. This is compared with just under a fifth(19%) who are not concerned** about this.
* ‘Very concerned’ and ‘Quite concerned’ answers combined.
** ‘Not at all concerned’ and ‘Not particularly concerned’ answers combined.
1 	Full question text; Plastic fragments and chemicals used in plastics have been found in the food we eat, the air we breathe, in breast milk and even in our
blood and internal organs. How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse health effects of plastics on the following?

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People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Q7c. How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse healtheffects of plastics on the following? The health of your loved ones

• 8 in 10 (80%) respondents are concerned* about the adverse health effects of plastics on the health oftheir loved ones1. Of these, over half (51%) are very concerned. This is compared with 1 in 6 (16%) who
are not concerned** about this.
* ‘Very concerned’ and ‘Quite concerned’ answers combined.
** ‘Not at all concerned’ and ‘Not particularly concerned’ answers combined.
1 	Full question text; Plastic fragments and chemicals used in plastics have been found in the food we eat, the air we breathe, in breast milk and even in our
blood and internal organs. How concerned or not concerned are you about the adverse health effects of plastics on the following?
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People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

METHODOLOGY IN DETAILThis survey about global support for a strong Plastics Treaty was conducted in 19 countries in February
2024, research conducted by Censuswide using an online panel among 19,088 people aged 16+. The
sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals in each of the UK, USA, Canada, India, Brazil, Egypt,
Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Korea, China, UAE, Malaysia,
Austria, and Norway. Samples can be taken as representative of these countries’ general adult population
over the age of 16, using UN data. Quotas were used to ensure the data was representative, this was using
age and gender data in all countries and additionally region data in the UK and USA, using ONS andCensus data.
An online quantitative methodology was used to collect the data for this survey, using double opt-in
panels to ensure validity. This approach allows respondents to feel comfortable expressing their views
anonymously.
Responses have been randomised where appropriate, so that the order is different for respondents. The
question text is as shown in the wording of the report, there were some instances where respondents
were given additional information to help them complete the question with full knowledge. These caveats
have been added to the footnotes.
The totals in the report are based on all the respondents who took part in the survey, so equal base sizes
per country. Countries have not been weighted by population size but instead have an equal voice in the
total. Respondents are tracked during fieldwork and any invalid responses removed. The sample size of
1,000 respondents gives a confidence interval of 3.1 at a confidence level of 95%, meaning that 19 times
out of 20 the results are accurate to +/-3.1% per country.

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People vs Plastic: Global support for a strong Plastics Treaty

Author:Madeleine Cobbing
Design:Rico Reinhold
ricoreinhold.com
Published by:Greenpeace International
Surinameplein 118
1058 GV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

For more information contact:pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org
Greenpeace is an independent
global campaigning organisationthat acts to change attitudes
and behaviour, to protect andconserve the environment andto promote peace.
Front: © Kevin McElvaney /Greenpeace
Back: © Isabelle Povey /Greenpeace