IPEN International Pollutants Elimination Network

Plastics Poison the Workplace: Chemical Exposures to Plastic Waste and Recycling Workers

IPEN member EARTH in Thailand coordinated with plastic recycling workers, plastic waste workers, and workers in other settings, such as office settings or other settings without occupational exposures to plastic waste to assess their exposures to chemicals in plastics. 

IPEN also engaged global participants connected to the Plastics Treaty negotiations who work in settings without significant occupational exposure to plastics to assess their exposures to chemicals in plastics. 

Together the findings show that all workers experienced chemical exposures, with plastic waste and recycling workers exposed to more chemicals than the other workers.

See more in the Thai workers study and the report on the global participants, below.

See more IPEN studies and resources for INC-5 here.

Read about the studies in The New York Times.

Read the press release here.

Attachment Size
PDF icon Plastic Workers Study 11.36 MB
PDF icon Global Participants Report 45.59 MB