Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

New Management Strategy Framework for Effectively Managing Microplastic in Circular System from Plastic Product Manufacturing to Waste Treatment Facility

Researchers proposed a new management strategy framework for controlling microplastic release throughout the lifecycle of plastic products, from manufacturing through end-of-life in circular economy systems, incorporating soil, atmospheric, groundwater, and river-based pollution pathways. The framework provides actionable guidance for producers, regulators, and waste managers to systematically reduce microplastic entry into land and marine environments.

2024 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Strategies for efficient management of microplastics to achieve life cycle assessment and circular economy

This review examines strategies for managing microplastic waste through a circular economy and life cycle assessment (LCA) lens, arguing that current recycling practices and waste disposal methods are inadequate given the sheer volume of plastics entering ecosystems. The authors propose a conceptual framework integrating LCA principles into microplastic management to better quantify ecological risks and guide more sustainable plastic use policies.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Management of Microplastics in Accordance with Plastic Life-cycle – Focused on sewage and wastewater management

This review examines South Korean regulatory frameworks and international plastic treaty discussions relevant to microplastic management across the full plastic lifecycle, focusing on sewage and wastewater management as a key pathway for microplastic release into waterways.

2025 Environmental Law and Policy
Article Tier 2

Global Material Flow of Macro‐ and Microplastics to Support a Circular Economy

Researchers developed a global material flow analysis of macro- and microplastics to identify where intervention efforts can best support a circular economy. The study found that current plastic waste reduction initiatives are often misaligned with the most impactful leverage points in the plastic material cycle.

2025 Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing
Article Tier 2

Macro problems from microplastics: Toward a sustainable policy framework for managing microplastic waste in Africa

Researchers critically reviewed regulatory and policy approaches to managing microplastic pollution across African countries. They found that while environmental monitoring studies demonstrate an urgent need for action, the effectiveness of existing plastic waste policies in Africa remains poorly understood. The study proposes a sustainable policy framework tailored to the unique challenges African nations face in reducing microplastic waste generation and environmental contamination.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Strategic pathways for sustainable plastic management through a circular economy approach in India

This paper analyzed strategic pathways for sustainable plastic waste management in India through a circular economy lens, examining the environmental and health risks posed by microplastics from inadequate plastic disposal. The authors identify policy, infrastructure, and behavioral interventions needed to reduce India's microplastic burden.

2025 Discover Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Circular economy and reduction of micro(nano)plastics contamination

This review argues that transitioning to a circular economy — through better design, recycling infrastructure, and reducing single-use plastics — offers one of the most viable systemic pathways to reducing micro- and nanoplastic contamination of the environment.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 38 citations
Article Tier 2

System innovation and life cycle thinking in packaging value chain: the circularity of plastics.

This paper examines the role of circular economy principles in reducing plastic packaging waste, noting that despite existing recycling systems, plastics remain pervasive environmental contaminants. The authors argue that redesigning packaging systems for recyclability and reducing over-packaging are essential steps to address microplastic pollution at its source.

2020 AMS Dottorato Institutional Doctoral Theses Repository (University of Bologna) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Closing the Loop on Microplastics

This chapter examines the challenge of closing the loop on microplastics -- from their pervasive presence in the environment to viable solutions for reducing production, improving waste management, and remediating contaminated systems. The authors review circular economy strategies and evaluate the feasibility of technical and policy interventions to address the microplastic lifecycle.

2024
Article Tier 2

Removal of microplastics from wastewater: available techniques and way forward

This review surveys available techniques for removing microplastics from wastewater within a circular economy framework, discussing innovative treatment technologies, integrated risk-based approaches, and regulatory and economic guidelines needed to advance water resource recovery facilities beyond conventional pollutant removal.

2023 IWA Publishing eBooks 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Status of Circular Economy Research in Finland

This review surveys the state of circular economy research in Finland, covering academic, policy, and industry perspectives on transitioning away from the linear 'take-make-dispose' model. Circular economy principles are increasingly relevant to addressing plastic waste and microplastic pollution.

2021 Resources 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the environment: An urgent need for coordinated waste management policies and strategies

This review highlights that microplastic pollution affects marine ecosystems, farmland, and human health, but current waste management policies are fragmented and insufficient. The authors evaluate existing strategies and propose practical solutions including better recycling programs, product redesign to reduce plastic use, and coordinated international policy. Addressing the microplastic problem requires not just cleanup technology but systemic changes in how we produce, use, and dispose of plastics.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 73 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Marine plastic pollution: A systematic review of management strategies through a macroscope approach

Researchers applied a systems-level framework to review 176 studies on marine plastic pollution management, finding that waste collection infrastructure and freshwater pathways are critically understudied and that no existing strategy — from beach cleanup to biomaterials — is scalable enough to meaningfully reverse the plastic crisis.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing a circular economy from plastic waste and identifying microplastics in domestic water supplies in Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeastern provinces

This study explored pathways for developing circular economy systems from plastic waste streams, including identification and quantification of microplastics at different stages of the waste cycle as a prerequisite for effective material recovery.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Recycling and Management of Microplastic Waste

This review examines recycling and management strategies for plastic waste, describing the technical and economic challenges of reducing plastic pollution and the remediation approaches that have been attempted to address microplastic accumulation in the environment.

2025 ˜The œBioscan.
Article Tier 2

A study on characteristics of microplastic in wastewater of South Korea: Identification, quantification, and fate of microplastics during treatment process

Microplastics were tracked through three South Korean wastewater treatment plants with different tertiary treatment methods, finding 75–92% removal by primary and secondary treatment and over 98% removal after tertiary treatment. The study confirms that advanced treatment steps are necessary to approach near-complete microplastic removal from municipal wastewater.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 555 citations
Article Tier 2

Bottlenecks of Global Plastic Strategy and the Way Forward of Microplastics Management

This review examines bottlenecks in global plastic waste management strategies, arguing that rising plastic use in everyday activities has outpaced regulatory and logistical capacity, and proposing pathways forward for more effective microplastics management at a global scale.

2025
Article Tier 2

An Examination of Microplastics: Environmental Impact, Sustainability, and Recyclability Innovation

This paper examined the environmental impact of microplastics, sustainability implications of current plastic use, and recycling options to address the plastic pollution crisis. It called for a transition toward circular economy approaches that reduce primary plastic production and increase recycled content.

2024 Journal of Student Research
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastic degradation and material flow analysis towards a circular economy

This critical review examined microplastic degradation processes and applied material flow analysis to understand plastic waste streams toward a circular economy. The study highlights that microplastics are particularly threatening due to their high mobility, ease of ingestion by wildlife, and ability to carry toxic contaminants, and identifies key intervention points in the plastic life cycle where waste reduction could be most effective.

2022 Environmental Pollution 51 citations
Review Tier 2

Recycling and Reusing Strategies to Prevent Microplastic Generation: a Review

This review examines recycling and reusing strategies for plastic materials as a means of preventing microplastic generation, grounding the analysis in circular economy principles emphasizing resource efficiency through repair, reuse, and recycling. The authors evaluate current methodologies and propose strategies to reduce plastic waste degradation into microplastics, linking waste management practices to pollution prevention outcomes.

2025 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

A Study on the Trend of Domestic Waste Generation and the Recognition of Recycling Priorities in Korea

This South Korean study examined trends in household waste generation and public recognition of recycling in the context of sustainable development goals and circular economy policy. Understanding recycling behavior and waste generation trends is important for reducing the plastic waste that eventually breaks down into microplastics.

2021 Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel circular approach to analyze the challenges associated with micro-nano plastics and their sustainable remediation techniques.

This review examines the environmental concerns raised by micro- and nanoplastics, including the surge in plastic waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluates sustainable remediation strategies. The authors propose a circular approach that considers the full lifecycle of plastics and integrates multiple treatment technologies to address the problem at scale.

2023 Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering
Article Tier 2

The Critical Importance of Adopting Whole-of-Life Strategies for Polymers and Plastics

This review argues that plastics must be managed across their entire life cycle—from design to disposal—to address the growing crisis of microplastic pollution. The authors call for replacing the current 'disposable' mindset with strategies that prioritize durability, recyclability, and eventually biodegradability.

2021 Sustainability 18 citations
Article Tier 2

From Circularity to Spirality: An Integrated, Systems-Level Approach to Address the Plastics Problem

This paper introduces the concept of spirality as a more realistic alternative to perfect circular recycling of plastics, acknowledging that plastic quality inevitably degrades with each recycling cycle. Rather than focusing on a single health or environmental finding, it proposes a systems-level framework combining materials science, life cycle assessment, and economics to guide better recycling strategies. Reducing overall plastic waste through smarter design and tiered recycling could lower the amount of microplastic pollution entering the environment.

2025 Journal of the American Chemical Society 7 citations