August 22, 2025 – The recent supposedly final negotiations of the UNEP Plastic Treaty in Geneva ended without any agreement on the text after 10 days of deliberations. No treaty is better than a bad treaty, seems to be the only consensus of this fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
The presence of more than 200 industry lobbyists at the negotiations points to the challenges faced in securing a Global Plastics Treaty that truly addresses the sources of plastic pollution — such as the world’s most littered toxic plastic item: cigarette butts. While many countries demonstrated determination to reach an ambitious outcome, divisions prevented the adoption of binding measures, including those that would safeguard public health and align with global health treaties such as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
In the ASEAN region alone, an estimated 460 billion cigarette butts are discarded every year. The plastic filters in these cigarettes break down into harmful microplastics that contaminate our food and waterways, adding another layer of harm to people on top of the already devastating health effects of tobacco use. The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has urged ASEAN Member States and the global community to ban all types of cigarette filters, including those deceptively marketed as “biodegradable.” “Unless we act decisively to eliminate single-use plastics and all cigarette filters, we cannot genuinely protect both our planet and the people living in it,” said SEATCA.
Regional Call to Action
The tobacco epidemic along with the plastic crisis cannot wait. In the absence of a consensus at INC 5.2, ASEAN Member States must act at the national level to ban all cigarette filters, strengthen liability measures, penalize polluters, and reinforce protections of public health.
Seven ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) have adopted some measures to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics (SUP) such as plastic bags, straws, cups, styrofoam, but none of them have addressed cigarette filters.
By acting boldly, ASEAN Member States can demonstrate that regional leadership can make a difference when global negotiations stall. If ASEAN can show that progress is possible, it can set a powerful precedent to inspire other regions and the global community to follow suit.
Global Call to Action
SEATCA joins the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA) in calling for a credible Global Plastics Treaty that:
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Protects health policy from industry interference in line with the WHO FCTC;
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Bans cigarette filters, regardless of material, to eliminate this hazardous waste stream; and
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Holds polluters financially responsible for the harm they cause.
Throughout the week, many UN Member States had pushed for alignment with health treaties including the WHO FCTC, grounded measures in science, and coordinated stakeholder participation that could avoid conflicts of interest. We affirm these tireless efforts to protect public health and encourage continued advancement of these priorities.
Members of the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA) at INC 5.2 in Geneva
Photo credit: Geoffrey T. Fong
For information:
Ms. Cyresse Ann Achilleos, Media and Communications Officer, SEATCA
Email: cyresse@seatca.org
Mobile: +63 975 701 7130
About SEATCA
SEATCA is a multi-sectoral non-governmental alliance promoting health and saving lives by assisting ASEAN countries to accelerate and effectively implement the tobacco control measures contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). SEATCA is an accredited ASEAN entity and an official Observer to the WHO FCTC Conference of Parties. WHO bestowed on SEATCA the World No Tobacco Day Award in 2004 and the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award in 2014.
About STPA
The Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA) is a global coalition of over a hundred public health and environmental groups that recognize the crucial intersection between tobacco control and environmental health.