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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.
There has been an exponential interest in the occurrence and potential ecotoxicological consequences stemming from the growing prevalence of (micro)plastics in the environment. This has been especially evident by the increasing concern regarding the visible effects on marine ecosystems, with multiple local, regional and trans-national initiatives developed towards the mitigation of what has been construed as an environmental disaster. However, it is not clear what the benefits – if any – of the multitude of norms, regulations, laws and recommendations that have been proposed and/or implemented in recent years are. Furthermore, many of the proposed laws may be of limited applicability, particularly considering the extent to which plastic occurs in everyday life. Herein, the current regulatory instruments are overviewed, focusing on the existing proposals and the extent to which these are based on the currently available scientific data, as well as the foreseen challenges that may restrain the relevancy and suitability of such legislative proposals.
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Regulatory Approaches to Plastic Mitigation
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This chapter reviews existing research and policies on plastic pollution, including microplastics, at local, national, and global levels. It examines rules targeting single-use plastics and waste management, finding gaps in how these policies are put into practice and enforced, and calls for stronger coordinated legislative action.
Microplastics: A Review of Policies and Responses
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This critical review assembled current knowledge on policies and regulatory responses to plastic pollution globally, including legislative measures, economic instruments, and voluntary commitments. The authors identify a gap between scientific evidence and policy action and call for stronger, more coordinated international governance of plastic pollution.
The Role of International Law and National Law in Handling Marine Plastic Litter
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This paper analyzes the role of international and national law in addressing marine plastic litter, reviewing legal instruments and their practical effectiveness. It calls for stronger and more unified legal frameworks to reduce ocean plastic pollution.
Legislation to limit the environmental plastic and microplastic pollution and their influence on human exposure
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This review surveys global legislation aimed at limiting plastic and microplastic pollution, including bans on single-use items, recycling mandates, and clean-up initiatives across different countries. The study also discusses how these regulations may help reduce human exposure to plastics and their associated toxic chemicals, though enforcement and scope remain uneven worldwide.
Legislation and Policy on Pollution Prevention and the Control of Marine Microplastics
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This review analyses international legislation and policies targeting marine microplastic pollution, finding that most existing regulations focus narrowly on microbeads while failing to address other microplastic types, and identifies three systemic dilemmas that impede more comprehensive regulatory frameworks.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.