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Recommendation: Global perceptions of plastic pollution: The contours and limits of debate — R0/PR4
Summary
This is a peer review recommendation for a study analyzing 39 published papers on public perceptions of plastic pollution, finding that research has focused mainly on marine ecosystems, single-use plastics, and microplastic risks while underexploring broader production reduction and climate-plastics links. The paper notes that framing choices in terminology shape public understanding and policy responses to the plastic pollution crisis.
Plastic pollution is central to policy and public debates about anthropogenic damage to the environment. Negotiations for an international binding treaty to end plastic pollution provide a timely opportunity to analyse peer-reviewed papers concerning public perceptions of plastic pollution (n = 39). These focused on the impact of plastic pollution solely on the marine ecosystem, single-use plastics, barriers to recycling and risks of microplastics. Research studies explored public perceptions of 'plastic pollution', 'marine plastic litter', 'marine plastic pollution' and 'plastic marine debris'. These terms are not interchangeable and frame the problem. Awareness links to media representations and personal 'choices' are limited by lack of options (extended producer responsibility schemes). There was limited discussion of reducing the aggregate global volume of plastics produced. Future research could explore perceptions of risk (toxic chemicals, bioplastics) plastics and climate change or plastics and global biodiversity loss (beyond turtles). The social meaning of plastics, the heterogeneity of audiences and the role of media in framing risks can help inform plastics-related policy. Social Sciences and media scholars are well placed to unpack the socio-cultural context in which plastics are intertwined in people's everyday lives and how social meanings of plastics may change in response to global crises.