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Abstract The ongoing international negotiations on a global plastics treaty will have pivotal implications for future efforts to transform the plastic economy. This is essential since the current use of plastic in the economy impacts the environment beyond the planetary carrying capacity. To ensure that the forthcoming Treaty can provide the foundation for this transition, the best available science must be made available in the negotiations, but with no formal scientific mechanism to inform the negotiations process, this is not ensured. The Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastic Treaty serves as an example of how the global scientific community has self-organized and come together to address this task, working with five different categories of science-policy communication. The Scientists’ Coalition’s work is made transparent here with the hope that it can inspire organization of scientific input into other future policy areas.

Given that a substantial amount of time is spent in kitchens preparing food, the kitchen equipment used may be relevant in determining the composition and amount of microplastics ending up on our dinner plate. While previous research has predominantly focused on foodstuffs as a source of microplastics, we emphasise that micro- and nanoplastics are ubiquitous and likely originate from diverse sources. To address the existing knowledge gap regarding additional sources contributing to microplastics on our dinner plates, this review investigates various kitchen processes, utensils and equipment (excluding single-use items and foodstuffs) to get a better understanding of potential microplastic sources within a home kitchen. Conducting a narrative literature review using terms related to kitchenware and kitchen-affiliated equipment and processes, this study underscores that the selection of preparation tools, storage, serving, cooking, and cleaning procedures in our kitchens may have a significant impact on microplastic exposure. Mechanical, physical, and chemical processes occurring during food preparation contribute to the release of microplastic particles, challenging the assumption that exposure to microplastics in food is solely tied to food products or packaging. This review highlights diverse sources of microplastics in home kitchens, posing concerns for food safety and human health.