The Lancet Countdown

 In response to this grave threat to human health, The Lancet has launched an independent, health-focused global monitoring system on plastics: The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics (the Countdown). It is inspired by the model and impact of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change on bringing into focus the grave harms that climate change bring to human health (https://lancetcountdown.org). 

The Countdown will quantify the burden of disease and premature death attributable to plastics and track trends in plastic production, pollution, and exposure. It will inform evidence-based policy at global, national, subnational, and local levels. Through routine tracking and publication of independent and rigorously developed indicators, we can inform evidence-based policy at global, national, subnational, and local levels, including contributions to future UN Global Plastics Treaty commitments