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Health care industry

Nurses Demand Strong Commitments to Limit Plastic Use in Global Plastics Treaty

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As negotiations to finalize a global treaty to end plastic pollution begin, the International Council of Nurses has joined with Health Care Without Harm and major health groups to demand strong commitments to limit plastic use and protect people from plastic-related health harms. The treaty must include special considerations for the health sector, rather than exempting it from resolutions to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability. The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the removal of the full-scale exemption for healthcare and calls for health care to be afforded special consideration in the treaty.

Key Takeaways:

  • The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has joined with Health Care Without Harm and major health groups to demand strong commitments to limit plastic use and protect people from plastic-related health harms in the global plastics treaty.
  • Previous drafts of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) treaty exempt the health care industry from resolutions to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability, which ICN and other health groups oppose.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) supports removal of the full-scale exemption for health care and calls for special consideration in the treaty to enable the sector to develop and promote effective, affordable alternatives.
  • Nurses are the world's largest healthcare profession and are equipped to address the climate crisis, with the health sector having both the responsibility and opportunity to take the lead on sustainability.
  • ICN President Dr José Luis Cobos Serrano emphasizes the need for the health sector to lead by example, not exemption, by promoting environmentally-friendly practices.
  • ICN CEO Howard Catton reaffirms that the health sector is a key part of the solution to plastic pollution and other environmental harms and must take the lead on sustainability.

Statistics:

  • The health sector is a significant contributor to plastic pollution, with many medical devices and equipment made from non-biodegradable plastics.
  • Plastic-related health harms affect vulnerable populations disproportionately, often leading to respiratory problems, chronic illnesses, and environmental degradation.
  • By 2050, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that plastic pollution will cause 9.1 million deaths annually.
  • Nurses and the healthcare sector have a critical role to play in reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainability in healthcare practices.

Sources:

  • International Council of Nurses. (Aug. 7). Press Release: Joining Forces to Demand Strong Commitments to Limit Plastic Use.
  • World Health Organization. (No date available).
  • International Council of Nurses. Position Statement and Topic Brief: Climate Change.
  • Health Care Without Harm. Open Letter: [https://global.noharm.org/focus/plastics/open-letter](https://global.noharm.org/focus/plastics/open-letter).

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