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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in the Environment and the Circular Economy
ClearCircular 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.
Linear Economy versus Circular Economy: New raw material
This paper examines the fashion industry's role in environmental sustainability and argues for a transition from linear to circular economic models. It highlights how the current take-make-waste approach generates massive textile waste, including synthetic microplastic fibers. A circular fashion economy would reduce both material waste and plastic pollution from textiles.
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.
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.
Towards circular fashion: Management strategies promoting circular behaviour along the value chain
This study explores how the fashion industry can shift from a wasteful linear model to a circular one through better management strategies, including sustainable materials, take-back programs, and on-demand manufacturing. The fashion industry is a major source of microplastic pollution through synthetic fiber shedding during production, washing, and disposal. Adopting circular practices could significantly reduce the amount of microplastic fibers entering the environment from textiles.
Microplastic Sources, Reduction and Remediation: Current State and Future Trends
This review synthesizes current knowledge on primary and secondary microplastic sources, methods for eliminating microplastics from different environmental media, and the role of circular economy principles in minimizing microplastic pollution across the entire plastic value chain. The study outlines an upside-down pyramid strategy prioritizing prevention, reduction, reuse, and recycling over disposal, and surveys emerging technologies for sustainable polymer production and remediation.
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.
Plastics in the Circular Economy
This book examines the role of plastics in the circular economy, reviewing how the current linear plastics economy generates environmental problems including microplastic pollution from fossil oil use and unmanaged plastic waste. The authors assess circular economy strategies including recycling, biodegradable alternatives, and design for disassembly as pathways to maintain the benefits of plastics while reducing their environmental footprint.
Textile industry as a major source of microplastics in the environment
This review examines the textile industry as a major source of microplastic pollution, synthesizing data on recycling technologies and lifecycle assessments for synthetic textile fibers. It identifies barriers to progress — including fiber lamination with metals, rapidly changing fiber types, and low recycling efficiency — and argues that only a globally coordinated reduction in synthetic fiber production will meaningfully curb microplastic release. The textile sector is one of the largest contributors of microfibers to aquatic environments, making systemic change in this industry critical.
A Circular Economy of Plastics: A vision of redesigning plastics value chains
This discussion paper outlines a vision for a circular plastics economy in which plastics are designed for reuse, recycling, and bio-based feedstocks rather than single use and disposal. A true circular economy for plastics would dramatically reduce the amount that fragments into microplastics in the environment.
Towards the Rational Use of Plastic Packaging to Reduce Microplastic Pollution: A Mini Review
This review examines how plastic packaging degrades into microplastics and explores strategies for reducing microplastic pollution through more rational use of plastics. The study suggests that shifting from a linear "take-make-dispose" model to a circular economy framework is essential for mitigating the environmental impact of plastics, particularly in aquatic ecosystems where microplastics persist and accumulate.
Systemic Change: The Complexity of Business in a Circular Economy
This paper examines the complexity of transitioning businesses to a circular economy model, focusing on the systemic changes needed to replace the linear take-make-dispose approach. Circular business models that keep plastics in use longer and out of the environment are fundamental to reducing microplastic pollution at its source.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic pollution from textiles: A literature review
This review examines the current state of knowledge on microplastic pollution, focusing specifically on synthetic microfibre shedding from textiles during washing and the significance of this source for marine and freshwater contamination.
Exploring microplastic pollution from origin to environmental impact and remediation approaches
This review provides a comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution, covering their sources from synthetic textiles, cosmetics, and packaging to their fate in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The study critically examines detection techniques, structural and chemical classification methods, and the health risks microplastics pose to organisms including humans.
Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments from washing synthetic textiles
Washing synthetic textiles releases microplastic fibers into wastewater, and this study reviewed the scale of the problem and explored strategies to reduce emissions at the washing machine, garment design, and wastewater treatment levels. Textile laundering is considered one of the largest sources of microplastic fiber pollution reaching aquatic environments.
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.
Understanding the Flows of Microplastic Fibres in the Textile Lifecycle: A System Perspective
The lifecycle flows of microplastic fibers through the textile industry were mapped, identifying key stages from fiber production through washing and disposal where fibers are shed and enter the environment. This systems-level analysis supports targeted interventions to reduce fiber microplastic pollution at source.
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.
Sustainable Fashion
This review of sustainable fashion examines how the textile industry's shift to fast fashion has accelerated environmental damage, including the shedding of synthetic microfibres — a major source of microplastic pollution in waterways — and argues that circular production models and consumer behaviour change are needed to reduce the industry's footprint. The paper is relevant because textile microfibres are among the most commonly detected microplastics in marine and freshwater environments.
How can we deal with the large amount of microplastics delivered to landfills and released into the environment by fast fashion? A practical valorization approach for mitigating textile fibrous microplastics before affecting the environment.
Researchers proposed a practical valorization approach for managing fibrous microplastics generated by fast fashion textile waste, addressing the challenge of large volumes of textile microplastics entering landfills and the environment through a circular economy framework to intercept fibers before environmental release.
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.