Talks on a global treaty to prevent plastic waste ended without agreement on Friday.
After three years of negotiations, around 180 countries were unable to agree on a treaty text during the final week of talks at the United Nations in Geneva, several delegations said following night-long consultations at the closing plenary session.
It remains unclear how the process will move forward.
The divide between countries had already been apparent earlier this week, when a draft treaty that would have removed almost all binding commitments was met with outrage from dozens of countries.
A revised draft presented on Friday morning also failed to win unanimous support, according to the conference chair.
Florian Titze of the environmental foundation WWF Germany said it is better to have no agreement at all than to adopt a treaty that does nothing to actually solve the global plastic crisis.
Divided positions
More than 100 members of the High Ambition Coalition, including the European Union and dozens of countries in South America, Africa and Asia, were calling for limits on plastic production.
They also wanted to phase out single-use plastic products, such as cups and cutlery, and promote reusable plastic products and a circular economy in which the raw materials of a waste product are recycled and reused.
Oil-producing states, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, call themselves the "like-minded group." They wanted to focus on limiting plastic waste, rather than limiting production. Plastic is largely made from oil products.
However, the UN gave itself the mandate in 2022 to agree to a treaty that covers the entire life cycle of plastic, from production to design and waste management.
Plastic's toll on ecosystems and health
Plastic pollutes the oceans and the environment, kills fish and other living creatures, and endangers human health. Tiny particles are increasingly being found in human organs including the brain.
According to studies, nano and microplastic particles impair the immune system and promote inflammation.
The German Environment Ministry said global plastic production increased sevenfold between the 1970s and 2020 to 367 million tons per year, and could reach almost 600 million tons by 2050 if no measures are taken.
It said a total of 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced to date, 6.3 billion tons of which have become waste, most of which ending up in landfill.
According to estimates, 152 million tons of plastic waste have accumulated in rivers and oceans worldwide.
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