A new leak shows what the U.S. government is really thinking about plastic. A secret memo says the U.S. wants to stop new global rules that would force countries to make less plastic.

Right now, countries around the world are trying to come up with a treaty. This is like a big, formal agreement. The goal is to lower the amount of plastic produced globally. Too much plastic is ending up in our oceans and filling up our landfills.

But the leaked document shows that U.S. officials are pushing back. They don't want the rules to focus on cutting down the actual amount of plastic being made. Instead, the U.S. wants to focus on things like recycling or better trash cleanup.

Experts say the U.S. is worried that stopping plastic production could hurt big companies that make plastic. These companies make a lot of money, and the U.S. wants to keep that business going strong.

Environmental groups are not happy. They say that recycling isn't enough to fix the plastic crisis. They believe the only way to clean up the planet is to stop making so much plastic in the first place.

The U.S. has not officially commented on the leak, but it is causing a lot of talk among world leaders who are currently working on this deal.

Source: The Washington Post