Disputes over production cuts and chemical toxicity were the public face of the last round of plastics treaty talks in Busan, South Korea. But some observers point to signs of agreement in other areas.

After two years of dedicated negotiations, world leaders could not agree on a global plastics treaty to counter plastic pollution's escalating environmental, economic, and health threats.

International negotiations to create a legally binding treaty to stem the tide of plastic pollution ended in a stalemate on Monday — pushing talks past their initial deadline and into next year. More than 100 countries have shown support for limits on plastic manufacturing.