Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A multidisciplinary perspective on the role of plastic pollution in the triple planetary crisis.

This perspective paper argues that plastics are a central driver of all three dimensions of the planetary crisis — pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss — and must be addressed with the same urgency as carbon emissions. The authors call for a multidisciplinary approach that recognizes plastics as a systemic environmental threat rather than a siloed waste management issue.

2024 Environment international
Article Tier 2

A whale of a plastic tale: A plea for interdisciplinary studies to tackle micro- and nanoplastic pollution in the marine realm

This perspective calls for interdisciplinary collaboration across chemistry, biology, ecology, and toxicology to address micro- and nanoplastic pollution in marine environments, arguing that fragmented research approaches are insufficient to understand this complex global threat.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Transdisciplinary research: if it's so important, why aren't we all doing it?

This Dutch paper advocates for transdisciplinary research as an essential approach for tackling complex environmental challenges, describing practical steps for collaboration between academic and applied researchers.

2023 TNO Repository
Article Tier 2

Training the next generation of plastics pollution researchers: tools, skills and career perspectives in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary field

Researchers and educators in the plastics pollution field argue that early-career scientists need strong communication, project management, and cross-disciplinary skills to tackle this complex global problem, and offer guidance for both researchers and their mentors on how to build careers that bridge academia, industry, government, and policy.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Stakeholder alliances are essential to reduce the scourge of plastic pollution

This commentary argues that reducing plastic pollution requires much better cooperation between scientists, industry, the public, and policymakers. Progress has been painfully slow, and damage to the environment and human health continues to grow. The authors call for these four groups to find new ways to work together to address the plastic crisis more effectively.

2023 Nature Communications 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Next steps for research on society and microplastics

This perspective paper outlined priority directions for social and behavioral science research on microplastics, building on the established contributions of social sciences to understanding policy, stakeholder views, and public behavior around plastic pollution. The authors called for greater integration of social science methods to address governance gaps and support effective microplastic management.

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

Solutions to Plastic Pollution: A Conceptual Framework to Tackle a Wicked Problem

This review proposed a conceptual framework for organizing the diverse technological, governance, and societal solutions to global plastic pollution, mapping the value-laden issues that drive different actors' preferences for particular approaches.

2021 Environmental contamination remediation and management 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Plastic Industry Transition Addressing Key Drivers of the Triple Planetary Crisis

Researchers modelled global and regional transition scenarios for the plastic industry, integrating strategies to reduce fossil fuel dependence and shift to circular production models. They found that addressing plastic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss simultaneously requires a coordinated policy package across the full plastic value chain.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Addressing the microplastic crisis: A multifaceted approach to removal and regulation

Researchers reviewed the growing crisis of microplastic pollution and concluded that no single solution is sufficient — effective action requires combining better wastewater treatment, biodegradable plastic alternatives, stricter regulations, public education, and new detection technologies. They identified major knowledge gaps in understanding the full health and ecological impacts, underscoring the need for global cooperation.

2024 Environmental Advances 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Why we need an international agreement on marine plastic pollution

This commentary argues for the establishment of an international agreement to address marine plastic pollution, noting that plastic debris including microplastics is a pervasive global threat to marine biodiversity, ecosystem services, and potentially human health. The authors highlight that existing regulatory frameworks are insufficient to manage the transboundary nature of the problem. The study calls for measurable reduction targets and coordinated international action to curb the flow of plastic into the world's oceans.

2017 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 275 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics in our ocean as transdisciplinary challenge

This conference report summarized discussions among international experts at a 2019 workshop in Spain on the transdisciplinary challenges of researching ocean microplastic pollution, emphasizing the need for co-learning across scientific disciplines and stakeholder engagement to address knowledge gaps.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Transdisciplinary science and the importance of Indigenous knowledge

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it is a conceptual article arguing that transdisciplinary science and Indigenous knowledge partnerships are essential for achieving transformational environmental sustainability outcomes, using pollution as one example of complex challenges requiring such approaches.

2023 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Transforming the Global Plastics Economy: The Role of Economic Policies in the Global Governance of Plastic Pollution

This paper argues that addressing plastic pollution requires looking beyond waste management and marine cleanup to tackle the problem at its source, across the entire plastics life cycle including production, trade, and consumption. The authors trace how international policy discussions have evolved from voluntary approaches to regulatory frameworks, with over 100 governments calling for a new global plastics agreement. The research highlights the need for economic policies that address upstream production alongside downstream pollution.

2022 Social Sciences 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Technology cannot fix this: To stay within planetary boundaries, plastic growth must be tackled

Researchers argue in response to Bachmann et al. that technological solutions alone cannot address plastics pollution within planetary boundaries, contending that the full lifecycle of plastics — from resource extraction to earth system process impacts — must be considered and that plastic growth itself must be curtailed.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Embrace complexity to understand microplastic pollution

This commentary argued that advancing microplastic science requires embracing the complexity of these pollutants rather than relying on narrow experimental models and inconsistent methods. The authors called for standardized methodologies and research designs that account for environmental context and global change interactions.

2022 Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

The need for a global plastic strategy

This book chapter argues for the need for a coordinated global strategy to address plastic pollution, drawing parallels to international agreements on chemicals and waste. It emphasizes that most microplastics originate on land and that both freshwater and marine systems require integrated policy responses.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Enhanced plastic economy: a perspective and a call for international action

This perspective argues that the current plastic circular economy is too narrowly focused on recycling, reuse, and energy recovery, and calls for an enhanced framework that prioritizes innovation and coordinated international action to reduce plastic pollution. A broader approach targeting all lifecycle stages is proposed.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Delineating and preventing plastic waste leakage in the marine and terrestrial environment

Researchers outline the global challenge of plastic waste leaking into marine and land environments, tracing the problem to poor waste management, limited recycling technology, and low public awareness. The commentary calls for upstream design changes and downstream cleanup strategies to reduce plastic litter worldwide.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Our Plastic Planet is Hurting Humanity`s Health. Is there a Solution?

This commentary examines the global health impacts of plastic pollution and explores potential solutions ranging from individual behavior change to policy interventions and material innovation. The author argues that the scale of the problem demands coordinated action across governments, industries, and communities.

2023 Acta Scientific Medical Sciences
Article Tier 2

Introduction: global plastic and its regulation

This book introduction examines the current extent of the plastic pollution crisis and regulatory approaches to address it, using an interdisciplinary approach. Effective global regulation of plastic pollution is essential for preventing further accumulation of microplastics in marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

2023 Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Tackling microplastics pollution in global environment through integration of applied technology, policy instruments, and legislation

This review examines the global microplastics pollution problem and evaluates solutions combining technology, policy, and legislation. Current water treatment technologies like membrane bioreactors can remove microplastics, but no single approach is sufficient. The authors call for coordinated international action combining better detection methods, cleanup technologies, and stronger regulations to address plastic pollution in both water and land environments.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Transnational Plastics: An Australian Case for Global Action

Australia receives ocean-borne plastic from many other nations while also contributing plastic that reaches other countries, making microplastics a transnational problem requiring international cooperation. The study provides actionable recommendations for reducing plastic entering Australian waters through global and domestic policy action.

2020 Frontiers in Environmental Science 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Strategies for reducing ocean plastic debris should be diverse and guided by science

This perspective argues that strategies to reduce ocean plastic pollution should be science-based and diverse, combining upstream source reduction with targeted cleanup efforts. The authors caution that relying solely on ocean cleanup technologies is insufficient — preventing plastic from entering the ocean in the first place is more effective and must be prioritized.

2016 Environmental Research Letters 68 citations
Article Tier 2

An inclusive, interdisciplinary forum for worldwide efforts to solve the plastics pollution challenge

This editorial outlines the mission of the journal 'Microplastics and Nanoplastics,' emphasising that solving plastic pollution requires diverse science spanning consumer behaviour, waste economics, material design, and interdisciplinary collaboration across the Global North and South.

2021 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 7 citations