Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

The consequences of trade on global plastic pollution

By combining plastic waste generation data with global trade commodity data, researchers found that plastic waste exported from high-income countries and mismanaged in lower-income nations contributes 1.2 million metric tons of additional plastic to aquatic environments annually, increasing prior estimates of high-income country contributions by 51% for freshwater and 100% for marine environments. The findings reveal that international waste trade is a major underestimated driver of global plastic and microplastic pollution.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Human Population Density is a Poor Predictor of Debris in the Environment

Researchers assessed factors driving plastic leakage to the environment using empirical data from seven countries and found that human population density alone is a poor predictor of debris levels. The study suggests that other factors, including waste management infrastructure and local land use, are more important drivers of environmental plastic pollution than population density estimates commonly used in global models.

2021 Frontiers in Environmental Science 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the socioeconomic determinants of marine plastic pollution: Evaluating policy effectiveness and mitigation strategies in the Global South.

Researchers synthesized qualitative and quantitative evidence on marine plastic pollution in the Global South, identifying rapid urbanization, inadequate waste infrastructure, and weak governance as primary drivers, and recommending integrated strategies combining single-use plastic bans, extended producer responsibility, regional cooperation, and circular economy incentives.

2026 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Study of marine debris around a tourist city in East China: Implication for waste management

Marine debris was surveyed in a coastal tourist city in eastern China, revealing patterns driven by tourism, fishing, and poor waste management. The study argues that effective debris management requires understanding local sources, which differ significantly between developed and developing regions.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Data Analysis on Factors Influencing Oceanic Plastic Pollution

A data analysis study examined the factors influencing oceanic plastic pollution, including population density, GDP, waste management infrastructure, and coastal proximity. The analysis identified waste mismanagement in high-population coastal regions as the primary driver of marine plastic input, contributing to the deaths of millions of marine animals annually.

2024 International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering and Information Technology
Article Tier 2

A local-to-global emissions inventory of macroplastic pollution.

This study developed a high-resolution global inventory of macroplastic pollution by distributing nationally reported waste management data down to sub-national and local scales, producing maps of plastic emission hotspots. The dataset is intended to support negotiations for a global plastics treaty by providing a data-driven baseline for identifying sources and prioritizing interventions.

2024 Nature
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on economic condition in underdeveloped nations

This review examines how microplastic pollution generated primarily by high-income countries disproportionately affects underdeveloped nations in Africa and Southeast Asia due to inadequate waste management infrastructure and limited recycling capacity. Using global socio-economic models projecting mismanaged plastic waste to 2050, the authors show that corruption and lack of education exacerbate plastic pollution, threatening food security, ecological stability, and economic development in vulnerable regions.

2024 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Role of Tourists and Impact of Knowledge, Behaviour, and Attitude Towards Plastic Waste Generation

Researchers surveyed tourists to assess how their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior influence plastic waste generation at outdoor recreation sites, finding that awareness gaps drive littering and that circular economy approaches could convert tourist-generated waste into local economic opportunity.

2022 Circular Economy and Sustainability 21 citations
Article Tier 2

A Regional Difference Analysis of Microplastic Pollution in Global Freshwater Bodies Based on a Regression Model

Analysis of microplastic data from 37 freshwater locations worldwide found pollution is highest in Asia, that developing countries have more contamination than developed ones, and that urban areas exceed rural areas. Population density and GDP both correlated with microplastic concentrations, confirming human activity as the primary driver.

2020 Water 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Plastic Pollution in Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis

This review used bibliometric analysis to map research trends on the environmental impact of plastic pollution in tourism-dependent regions, identifying leading academic disciplines, influential authors, and key themes in the literature.

2025 CABI eBooks
Article Tier 2

Correlation between microplastics estimation and human development index

Researchers analyzed the relationship between mismanaged municipal plastic waste (MMPW) and the Human Development Index (HDI) across countries with rivers flowing to the sea. They found that MMPW increases with HDI in lower-income nations but decreases with HDI in high-income countries, revealing that economic development patterns shape plastic pollution generation in contrasting ways.

2022 International Conference on Statistics, Applied Mathematics, and Computing Science (CSAMCS 2021) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mapping the Plastic Waste Research Landscape: A bibliometric analysis of the interdisciplinary nature of plastic waste research

A bibliometric analysis of 2,735 papers on plastic waste published between 2011 and 2022 found that India and China were the most productive countries in this research field. The analysis identifies research networks, trends, and gaps to guide future work and policymakers.

2023 Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mapping of global plastic value chain and plastic losses to the environment: with a particular focus on marine environment

This report maps the global plastic value chain from production through use to waste management, estimating that millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, with significant regional variation in management capacity. The analysis provides the economic and waste management context needed to understand why plastic pollution — and the resulting microplastic problem — continues to grow globally.

2018 Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Marine Debris: a Case Study of Pancana Village With a Bibliometric Perspective

Researchers combined bibliometric analysis of 2000-2023 marine debris literature with a field case study in Pancana Village, Indonesia, finding that plastic accounts for 78% of coastal debris and that land-based waste is the primary pollution source. The study identifies community-based waste management and policy interventions as key areas for addressing the marine debris crisis.

2024 International Journal Of Education Social Studies And Management (IJESSM) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The geopolitical economy of Thailand's marine plastic pollution crisis

Researchers examined the geopolitical and economic factors driving Thailand's status as one of the world's largest contributors to ocean plastic pollution, finding that governance failures, economic development pressures, and global plastic supply chains are key structural drivers that environmental management has not adequately addressed.

2020 Asia Pacific Viewpoint 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Plastic Collection and Recycling Trends in Sri Lanka

This paper is not about microplastics; it surveys plastic waste collection and recycling infrastructure in Sri Lanka, documenting correlations between tourism, rainfall, and recycling rates for different polymer types.

2023 Recycling 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Plastic Littering: a Review of Socio Economic Impacts

This review assessed the socioeconomic impacts of marine plastic litter, covering effects on tourism, fisheries, shipping, and coastal community well-being, and finding that annual economic costs run into the billions of dollars globally, with developing coastal nations bearing disproportionate burdens.

2021 Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of Marine Litters in the West Coast of Bali

This study characterized marine debris on the beach at Kuta, Bali — one of the world's most visited tourist destinations — documenting the types, quantities, and seasonal patterns of litter with plastic dominating the waste stream. The findings highlight how tourist beach management and upstream waste infrastructure failures combine to create a major marine litter problem.

2017 Jurnal Segara 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in tropical island estuaries in China: Source identification and management framework development

Researchers found surprisingly higher microplastic concentrations in the less-urbanized Wanquan River Estuary compared to the Nandu River Estuary in Hainan Island, China, suggesting that tourism and agricultural activities may contribute more significantly to microplastic pollution than urbanization alone.

2025 Marine Environmental Research
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