We are here to end plastic pollution.”Plastic production has exploded since the 1950s, reaching 475 metric megatons a year by 2022. California filed suit against ExxonMobil last year over what it calls a “campaign of deception” about plastic recycling. It’s estimated that less than 10 percent of plastic waste has ever been recycled. There are around 200 industrial plants in the area connected to petrochemical and plastics production. A treaty that doesn’t pay any attention to the health risks caused by plastic production wouldn’t begin to help her community heal, Banner says.