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Advancing Our Understanding of Transboundary Plastic Waste Management
Summary
A systematic review of 45 studies found that no single monitoring methodology is sufficient to track transboundary plastic waste flows, and an integrated approach combining sampling, remote sensing, and oceanographic modeling is needed. Improving data collection on cross-border plastic transport is essential for designing international policy interventions to reduce marine microplastic accumulation.
Transboundary plastic waste management is poorly understood due to the limited availability of comprehensive approaches to monitor plastic waste and pollution flows. To address this issue, this paper provides a detailed review of the existing monitoring methodologies and challenges associated with the acquisition of data on transboundary plastics. Data were extracted from 108 articles sourced from Scopus and Google Scholar using a systematic literature search, and from grey literature using a snowball search. Overall, 45 studies were included in the analysis and classified based on the monitoring methodologies employed, ranging from sampling with a laboratory analysis, to field studies, remote sensing studies, and oceanographic models. Based on the literature review, this paper supports the need to employ an integrated monitoring approach for the study of transboundary plastics that can overcome the limitations of individual technologies, while leveraging the strengths and opportunities of a technological mix. The paper also calls for understanding the value of monitoring technologies in supporting more effective decision-making on plastic waste reduction.