The talks are mandated to look at the full life cycle of plastic, from production to pollution, but some countries are unhappy with such a wide scope. Kuwait spoke up for the so-called Like-Minded Group — a nebulous cluster of mostly oil-producing nations which rejects production limits and wants to focus on treating waste.

Delegates from around the world are gathering in Geneva for a critical round of negotiations aimed at securing the first global treaty to curb the mounting plastic pollution crisis.

Plastics are everywhere—they're even in you right now—and are making many of us sick. Now, global negotiators are fighting over whether that matters.