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More than 400 million metric tons of plastic is produced annually, and only a small fraction is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, or leaks into the natural environment, which is impacting everything from human health to the climate.

Representatives from countries around the world will gather in Geneva in August to try to finalize a legally binding UN treaty to combat plastic pollution. Environmentalists hope that could help limit plastic production and better manage waste, but countries have failed to reach agreement in previous meetings .

Plastic waste at Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, Pine Bend sanitary landfill. Michael Siluk/UCG/Getty Images

Many experts and advocates

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