Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Scientific Uncertainty of Marine Microplastic Pollution and the Dilemma of Future International Unified Legislation

This legal analysis reviews existing microplastic bans across countries and regions, finding that most only target microbeads in cosmetics rather than addressing the full range of microplastic sources, leaving significant regulatory gaps.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 4 citations
Article Tier 2

International Law and Regulation of Marine Microplastics: Current Situation, Problems, and Development

This study evaluated the current international legal framework governing marine microplastic pollution and identified significant gaps in regulatory coverage. Researchers found that existing global and regional legal instruments lack the specificity and enforcement mechanisms needed to effectively address microplastic contamination. The study offers recommendations for strengthening international law to better regulate the sources and impacts of marine microplastic pollution.

2024 Sustainability 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The Role of Legislation, Regulatory Initiatives and Guidelines on the Control of Plastic Pollution

This review examines existing plastic pollution regulations globally, finding that despite many proposals and national bans, the overall effectiveness of legislation is unclear and most measures focus narrowly on marine plastics or single-use items. The authors argue that laws often lag behind science and face practical limitations given how deeply embedded plastics are in daily life.

2020 Frontiers in Environmental Science 220 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystem: A review of existing policies and regulations

This review examines existing government policies and regulations worldwide aimed at controlling microplastic pollution in water environments. While many countries have taken steps like banning microbeads in personal care products, the authors found that current efforts are insufficient to prevent microplastic release at scale. The study calls for stronger, more coordinated global regulations to protect both ecosystems and public health from microplastic contamination.

2024 Chemosphere 13 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics: A Review of Policies and Responses

This critical review assembled current knowledge on policies and regulatory responses to plastic pollution globally, including legislative measures, economic instruments, and voluntary commitments. The authors identify a gap between scientific evidence and policy action and call for stronger, more coordinated international governance of plastic pollution.

2022 Microplastics 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Legal Analysis of the Prevention of Marine Microplastics Pollution

This legal analysis examines international law frameworks governing marine microplastic pollution prevention, identifying obstacles including enforcement difficulties, weak jurisdictional clarity, and insufficient coordination among existing treaty regimes, while noting growing attention to microplastics in UN General Assembly resolutions and calling for stronger multilateral legal mechanisms.

2022 Law and Economy
Article Tier 2

Challenges for Regulation and Management of Microplastic in Environment and Proposed Changes

This review examines failures in international law and national regulations to adequately address microplastic pollution in water bodies, arguing that recent treaty negotiations have been insufficient and proposing regulatory changes to better manage microplastics in the environment.

2025
Article Tier 2

The Burden of Microplastics Pollution and Contending Policies and Regulations

This review examines the growing global burden of microplastic pollution and the policies being developed to address it. Researchers found that inadequate waste management systems allow massive amounts of plastic to contaminate terrestrial and aquatic environments, threatening ecosystems and the billions of people who depend on them. The study evaluates existing regulations and suggests that stronger, more coordinated policy frameworks are needed to curb microplastic pollution.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Worldwide actions against plastic pollution from microbeads and microplastics in cosmetics focusing on European policies. Has the issue been handled effectively?

This review examines global policy actions targeting microbeads and microplastics in cosmetics, with a focus on European regulations. Researchers found that while several countries have implemented bans on microbeads in rinse-off products, enforcement and scope vary widely, and many policies still contain significant loopholes. The study suggests that current regulatory approaches have been only partially effective and calls for more comprehensive, harmonized measures.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 266 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Prevailing Directives Regarding Microplastic Pollution

This review examines prevailing regulations and directives governing microplastic pollution, which enters land and water environments through inadequate plastic waste management and urban wastewater discharge. The authors analyze gaps in current policy frameworks and assess the effectiveness of existing global and regional legislative approaches.

2024
Article Tier 2

An Examination of Evolving Concerns, Obstacles, and Prospects in Relation to Pollution in the Marine Environment

This review examines international and national regulatory frameworks for marine pollution, finding that laws are often reactive — triggered only after environmental disasters — and inadequate for addressing diffuse threats like microplastic contamination. The authors argue that current legal tools need modernization and stronger enforcement to keep pace with emerging pollutants. This is relevant context for understanding why microplastic regulation lags far behind scientific evidence of harm.

2023 Pakistan Journal of Criminal Justice 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of Current Policies on Plastic Discharge and Policy Implications on Microplastic Reduction

Researchers reviewed current global policies addressing plastic discharge and assessed their implications for reducing microplastic pollution. The study highlights the urgency of the problem as outlined by UNEP reports and evaluates how existing regulatory frameworks could be strengthened to more effectively curb microplastic contamination.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An International Legal Framework for Marine Plastics Pollution

This legal analysis reviews the current international framework for regulating marine plastics and identifies significant gaps and inconsistencies across treaties and agreements. The chapter argues that stronger, more unified global legal instruments are needed to effectively reduce plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

2023 Cambridge University Press eBooks 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine litter: how to monitor, reduce and prevent ocean debris. Focus on plastics and microplastics.

This report reviewed the growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans and the policy landscape for addressing it, emphasizing that production, use, and end-of-life management all require reform. It frames plastic pollution as a systemic challenge requiring coordinated international action rather than single-issue solutions.

2018 IOC of UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) 2 citations
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

Advancing the international regulation of plastic pollution beyond the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution on marine litter and microplastics

This legal paper reviews international frameworks relevant to plastic pollution and argues for a binding global agreement specifically targeting plastic pollution, beyond existing resolutions. A comprehensive international treaty is increasingly seen as necessary to meaningfully reduce plastic pollution, including microplastics.

2018 Review of European Comparative & International Environmental Law 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the available strategies to control the emission of microplastics into the aquatic environment

This review evaluated available strategies to control microplastic emissions into aquatic environments, finding that no single effective strategy currently exists and that barriers including technical, economic, and policy challenges impede the development of comprehensive controls.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29 citations
Article Tier 2

From micro to macro: legal tools for combating plastic pollution at national, EU, and international levels

Researchers analyzed how laws at the national, European Union, and international levels have evolved to address microplastic pollution, tracing the shift from voluntary guidelines to binding rules like the EU's 2023 restriction on synthetic microparticles. The review identifies ongoing challenges — including inconsistent definitions and weak enforcement — and calls for stronger global governance to close the legal gaps.

2026 Environmental Sciences Europe
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution Prevention: The Need for Robust Policy Interventions to Close the Loopholes in Current Waste Management Practices

This review argues that current waste management policies have significant gaps that allow microplastic pollution to continue growing despite awareness of the problem. While cleanup technology is improving, prevention through better regulation of plastic production, use, and disposal is more practical and cost-effective. The authors call for stronger policy interventions including extended producer responsibility, bans on unnecessary single-use plastics, and standardized microplastic monitoring.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: Occurrences, treatment methods, regulations and foreseen environmental impacts

This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution, covering where these particles are found, how they are treated and regulated, and what environmental impacts are anticipated. Researchers found that current wastewater treatment methods are often insufficient to fully remove microplastics, and regulatory frameworks remain inconsistent across countries. The study emphasizes the urgent need for improved treatment technologies and coordinated global policies to address this growing environmental challenge.

2022 Environmental Research 84 citations
Article Tier 2

The presence and danger of microplastics in the oceans

This review summarizes the sources, distribution, and ecological dangers of microplastics in ocean environments, highlighting the lack of standardized global regulations and monitoring frameworks as a key barrier to addressing the scale of marine microplastic pollution.

2021 Pomorstvo 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution and Worldwide Policies on Plastic Use

This book examines microplastic pollution mechanisms, sources, and impacts while providing a comprehensive comparative overview of national policies developed across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa to address plastic use and minimize environmental contamination. Researchers found that while policy frameworks have proliferated globally, significant variation exists in regulatory requirements, enforcement mechanisms, and penalties for non-compliance across regions.

2024
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

Development of an Integrated Public Policy Model for Combating Marine Pollution

This policy research paper reviews the sources, regulatory landscape, and innovative strategies for addressing marine pollution, proposing an integrated public policy model. Effective marine pollution policy must specifically address microplastics, which the paper identifies as a key component of the marine pollution challenge requiring coordinated international governance.

2023 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS