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Legal Approaches to Plastic Pollution: Evaluating Circular Economy Laws in Canada and the United Kingdom
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This comparative study of Canada and the UK assessed how well circular economy principles are being implemented through law and policy to reduce plastic pollution, using comparative legal analysis and government interviews at multiple levels. Findings revealed a need for clearer legislative articulation of circular economy aims and stronger upstream regulatory measures targeting plastic production rather than focusing primarily on end-of-life waste management.
The circular economy has gained prominence as a framework to reduce plastic pollution by seeking to address the linear economic model of ‘take-make-waste’. However, despite the increasing popularity of the circular economy, there has been an identified gap in understanding how a circular economy will be implemented through the law. Through comparative analysis of law and policy, and interviews across different levels of government, this research evaluated current circular economy implementation in Canada and the United Kingdom. Findings reveal that there is a need for greater action to reflect circular economy ambitions through the law, including providing clarity on circular economy aims and enhancing regulatory measures to target the ‘upstream’ dimensions of plastic production. Finally, findings demonstrate that law and policy measures must contend with the multi-level governance of plastic and that advancing measures will necessitate efforts to balance harmonization and divergence of law and policy within, and across countries.
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Global Plastic Pollution and the Transition Towards a Circular Economy: Lessons from the EU’s Legal Framework on Plastics
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This paper reviews the EU legal framework on plastics and the transition toward a circular economy, examining how regulatory instruments including the Single-Use Plastics Directive and extended producer responsibility schemes can reduce the billions of tons of plastic waste generated annually.
Public policies to mitigate plastic pollution and adhere to the circular economy: A case study from Ecuador
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This study examines Ecuador as a case study in public policy for plastic pollution management, analyzing national legislation including the Single-Use Plastics Rationalization Law and the Inclusive Circular Economy Law, concluding that Ecuador's regulatory framework offers a transferable model for other countries seeking to reduce plastic production and promote circular economy principles.
The Role of Legislation, Regulatory Initiatives and Guidelines on the Control of Plastic Pollution
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This review examines existing plastic pollution regulations globally, finding that despite many proposals and national bans, the overall effectiveness of legislation is unclear and most measures focus narrowly on marine plastics or single-use items. The authors argue that laws often lag behind science and face practical limitations given how deeply embedded plastics are in daily life.
Trends in circular economy and plastic packaging: A 5-year review of academic literature
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This review of 355 studies finds that most "circular economy" research on plastic packaging focuses narrowly on recycling at the end of a product's life, rather than looking at the whole picture from production to disposal—and most of this research comes from wealthier countries, leaving out perspectives from places most affected by plastic waste. Since single-use plastics are linked to health concerns and pollution worldwide, this gap matters: without clearer, more inclusive definitions of what "circular" really means, efforts to reduce plastic waste and its health risks may fall short just as global leaders negotiate a major plastic pollution treaty.
International Legal Systems in Tackling the Marine Plastic Pollution: A Critical Analysis of UNCLOS and MARPOL
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This legal analysis examines how two major international agreements, UNCLOS and MARPOL, address marine plastic pollution and identifies significant gaps in their ability to reduce it. The existing laws lack enforceable requirements for reducing land-based plastic waste and have uneven enforcement of rules for ship-based discharges. The paper proposes strengthening international law to promote a circular economy approach, which matters because marine plastic breaks down into microplastics that enter the seafood supply.
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