FORTUNE

It’s time to hold corporations accountable for the plastics crisis—and the bill could exceed $20 billion in the U.S. alone

For decades, scientists have published peer-reviewed studies on hazardous chemicals in plastics and have called out for action, all to no avail. Now medical practitioners on the front line of this plastic crisis are sounding the alarm ahead of the final round of UN negotiations for a Global Plastic Treaty. The urgent message cannot be overlooked: Plastic is a threat to human health.

The lack of transparency around the plastics industry has led academics and campaigners to search for facts—and those facts are startling. Some 16,000 chemicals are used in plastic and yet only 6% are currently subject to international regulation. Of those 16,000 chemicals, many are endocrine disruptors, meaning our hormones and bodily functions are under constant attack when exposed. With a new chemical being produced every 1.4 minutes, our exposure is only set to rise.