Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Exploring Plastic-Management Policy in China: Status, Challenges and Policy Insights

Researchers reviewed China's plastic management policies and found that despite being the world's largest plastic producer, existing regulations remain insufficient, recommending strengthened extended producer responsibility and circular economy approaches to control plastic pollution.

2023 Sustainability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

The Value of China’s Legislation on Plastic Pollution Prevention in 2020

Researchers reviewed China's 2020 wave of plastic pollution legislation passed after a 12-year legislative gap, arguing that while the regulations arrived late, they represent a meaningful and necessary step toward controlling the country's severe plastic pollution through legally binding production and usage restrictions.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Looking for a Chinese solution to global problems: The situation and countermeasures of marine plastic waste and microplastics pollution governance system in China

This study analyzed China's marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution governance system, examining policy frameworks across blue economy development, plastics industry reform, and public health awareness, while proposing countermeasures to curb marine pollution intensification.

2021 Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overview of Management Status and Recycling Strategies for Plastic Packaging Waste in China

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews Chinese policy and recycling technology for plastic packaging waste, focusing on regulatory frameworks, carbon emissions, and recycling infrastructure rather than microplastic contamination or health risks.

2023 Recycling 13 citations
Article Tier 2

The Legal dilemmas and pathways for managing plastic waste pollution in China: An assessment of current regulations and a vision for future governance frameworks

This paper systematically analyses the current state of plastic waste legal regulation in China and proposes a framework for future governance, examining how the rapid growth of the e-commerce, express delivery, and food delivery industries has sharply increased plastic product consumption. The authors assess existing regulatory gaps and outline pathways toward more effective and comprehensive plastic waste management law.

2024 Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development
Article Tier 2

Research and management of plastic pollution in coastal environments of China

This review summarizes research on plastic pollution in China's coastal environments, noting that as the world's largest producer of plastic waste, China faces significant environmental challenges. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in surface waters, sediments, and the water column along Chinese coasts from both land-based and sea-based sources. The study highlights that while national-level policies address plastic waste broadly, there is virtually no legislation specifically targeting microplastic pollution.

2019 Environmental Pollution 146 citations
Article Tier 2

An Environmental Dilemma for China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Explosion of Disposable Plastic Wastes

Researchers analyzed how China's COVID-19 response — including mass online delivery and widespread mask use — created a surge in single-use plastic waste that undermined the country's 2020 plastic ban, highlighting the tension between pandemic management and plastic pollution control.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 32 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastic pollution in urban freshwater environments and legislative progress in China: Recommendations and insights

This critical review examines microplastic pollution across urban freshwater environments in China, synthesizing findings on contamination levels, sources, and ecological effects in a context of rapid urbanization affecting over 800 million urban residents. The authors review legislative progress and provide recommendations for improving monitoring standards, reducing plastic inputs, and aligning Chinese policy with international frameworks.

2020 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review on the sources and instruments of marine microplastics and prospects on the relevant management in China

This critical review examined sources, distribution, and monitoring instruments for marine microplastics in China, identifying key knowledge gaps and proposing management strategies to address the country's significant contribution to global ocean plastic pollution.

2018 Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 157 citations
Article Tier 2

China’s Marine Environmental Protection Strategy in the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Progress, Challenges, and Outlook

This review examines China's marine environmental protection strategy, tracing its development and analyzing how the COVID-19 pandemic affected marine pollution management. The pandemic both increased plastic waste (from masks and PPE) and disrupted environmental enforcement, creating new challenges for China's marine conservation efforts.

2023 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in social science, education and humanities research
Article Tier 2

Policy priorities: emerging trends in a global response

This policy review examines global regulatory responses to plastic and microplastic pollution, identifying focal areas, gaps, and future directions by drawing parallels to historical policy development around air pollution management.

2024 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

The difficulties and path of China’s NGOs participating in marine plastic waste governance

Researchers examined the challenges and pathways for Chinese non-governmental organizations to participate effectively in marine plastic waste governance, analyzing organizational capacity, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder relationships. The study found that NGOs face significant institutional barriers and recommends policy reforms that provide clearer roles and stable funding for civil society engagement in ocean plastic management.

2024 Marine Development 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Waste and a Circular Economy in China

This review examines China's plastic waste management challenges and the country's progress toward implementing circular economy principles for plastic recovery and recycling. As one of the world's largest plastic producers and consumers, China's plastic waste policies have major global implications for the amount of plastic that ultimately becomes microplastics.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics in the Environment on Human Health and Its Policy Analysis: A Case Study on China

Researchers examined the health impacts of microplastics in China from a health economics and public policy perspective, finding that plastic waste is associated with increased demand for respiratory medicines, likely due to airborne MP release. The paper reviews China's microplastic policy landscape and proposes four improvement areas including targeted monitoring and clearer departmental responsibilities.

2025 Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies
Article Tier 2

Plastic Waste Management: A Bibliometric Analysis (1992–2022)

This bibliometric study mapped 30 years of scientific publications on plastic waste management (1992–2022), finding rapid growth in research output with China as the dominant contributor. Plastic waste management and microplastics emerged as the most influential research keywords, reflecting growing global concern about plastic pollution and water contamination. While this is a research landscape overview rather than an experimental study, it provides useful context for understanding how the field has evolved and where knowledge gaps remain.

2023 Sustainability 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Canadian activities on plastic pollution

This paper reviews Canadian research and regulatory activities on plastic pollution, summarizing national monitoring programs, policy developments, and scientific contributions to understanding plastic fate and effects in Canadian environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

China’s Battle against Marine Plastic Pollution at the Local Level: A Case Study of Sanya City, Hainan Province

Researchers examined local-level marine plastic pollution governance in China using Sanya City in Hainan Province as a case study, assessing regulatory approaches and enforcement mechanisms for achieving national environmental goals. The analysis found that Sanya's 'Zero Waste City' and 'Model City' designations drove innovation in plastic governance, while also revealing important weaknesses in local implementation capacity.

2023 Ocean Yearbook Online 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The Evolutionary Trend and Impact of Global Plastic Waste Trade Network

Analysis of the global plastic waste trade network from 1988 to 2017 found that recent national import bans have reshaped trade flows, with waste being redirected from China to other developing nations rather than reducing overall plastic waste generation.

2021 Sustainability 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrences and distribution of microplastic pollution and the control measures in China

This review summarizes reported microplastic contamination levels in China's marine, freshwater, and atmospheric environments, finding that concentrations are highest in urbanized freshwater systems and identifying human population density and agricultural plastic use as key drivers.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 71 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastic pollution in seawater, sediments and organisms of the Chinese coastal and marginal seas

This review compiled microplastic abundance and characteristics data from seawater, sediments, and marine organisms across China's coastal and marginal seas, finding widespread contamination linked to China's extensive plastic production and mismanaged waste streams.

2021 Chemosphere 211 citations