Governance of plastics in the Arctic

The Arctic Ocean, often considered to be untouched by humans, is facing many similar threats to those faced by the world’s other oceans. One of the major concerns in recent years has been the concentration of plastics and their accumulation in Arctic waters. Plastics flow into the Arctic Ocean from other parts of the globe on ocean currents. They also come from commercial shipping, fishing and other industry, from municipal solid waste and, at a microplastic level, from the atmosphere. Both direct and indirect impacts of plastics on human and animal health and marine biodiversity in the Arctic Ocean are significant concerns, particularly for communities which rely on subsistence hunting and fishing to survive. It is predicted that the levels of plastic in the Arctic will increase significantly in the coming years as climate change makes the Arctic more accessible, particularly for ships. Against this background, this chapter examines existing regulatory and policy structures in place to tackle the challenges arising from plastics and explores how plastic pollution in the Arctic can be better governed. The Arctic provides us with an illustration of the many ecological and environmental justice issues which are raised by plastic pollution. This chapter then demonstrates how top-down approaches are failing to address the problem of plastic pollution and how engaging more with community initiatives and bottom-up approaches may lead to better solutions to the plastics problem across the globe.