Negotiations at the United Nations in Geneva to establish a global treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution concluded without an agreement after eleven days of talks involving 184 countries. The deadlock centered on disagreements over limiting the production of primary plastics and regulating toxic chemicals. Key opposition came from oil and gas exporting nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United States, which resisted any restrictions on plastic production. The failure of the sixth round of talks has dampened hopes for an international legally binding instrument to address the exponential growth of plastic pollution. Environmental advocates and officials have expressed disappointment, emphasizing that recycling efforts alone will not suffice to tackle the crisis. The collapse of the negotiations has shifted focus back to national and local efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic waste, with calls for urgent measures to manage plastic pollution, including in countries like Japan where plastic waste is impacting coastal areas.