Talks at the UN headquarters in Geneva to reach an agreement to end plastic pollution came to a haphazard conclusion last week, with 184 countries unable to agree to a deal.

Nations rejected two versions of the draft treaty presented by the meeting’s chair, Luis Vayas. Due to their lack of ambition, countries described them variously as “unacceptable” and “repulsive”, unusually strong wording for a diplomatic space.

The meeting, called INC5.2, was an extension of what was supposed to be the concluding meeting, INC5.1, in Busan last year.

While many are disappointed by the result, they also point to over 100 countries refusing to accept what they saw as a weak treaty. “It’s better we take the time to get something good, and it’s good that countries held that line in the face of pressure to get a deal,” said Christina Dixon, a campaign lead at the Environmental Investigation Agency, a UK non-profit.

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