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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Faculty Opinions recommendation of The United States' contribution of plastic waste to land and ocean.
ClearThe United States’ contribution of plastic waste to land and ocean
Researchers found that the United States generated the largest amount of plastic waste of any country in 2016 at 42 million metric tons, with a significant portion being illegally dumped or exported to countries with poor waste management. The study estimates that between 0.91 and 2.24 million metric tons of U.S. plastic waste ended up in the environment, highlighting the need for improved domestic waste reduction strategies.
The United States requires effective federal policy to reduce marine plastic pollution
This study argued that the United States lacks effective federal policy to address marine plastic pollution, examining gaps in regulation of single-use plastics and fishing nets and calling for comprehensive federal legislation given that the U.S. ranks among the top 20 countries for mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean.
Plastic Pollution and Potential Solutions
This review provides a broad overview of plastic pollution, covering the full lifecycle from manufacturing through disposal and environmental degradation. Researchers note that of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic ever produced, roughly 79% has ended up in landfills or the natural environment, where it breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics that persist for centuries. The study discusses potential solutions including improved recycling, biodegradable alternatives, and policy interventions to reduce plastic waste.
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.
Marine Plastic Pollution: Current Situation, Impacts, and Governance Strategies
This review examines the current state of marine plastic pollution, noting that approximately 8 million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean annually. The study discusses how plastics decompose and release toxic substances that harm marine life, and how plastic particles can enter the human food chain, while highlighting governance strategies and international efforts to address the problem.
Marine Debris: Understanding, Preventing and Mitigating the Significant Adverse Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity.
This UN-backed review updates the science on marine debris impacts on coastal and marine biodiversity, noting that plastics make up the majority of marine litter and that fragmentation creates microplastics ingested by a wide range of organisms. An estimated 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste entered marine environments in 2010 alone, with ongoing growth expected.
Plastic Waste Management: Global Facts, Challenges and Solutions
This review summarised global statistics and challenges in plastic waste management, noting that most plastic waste ends up in landfill, with recycling remaining the least implemented disposal method. The authors highlighted that plastic degradation in terrestrial and aquatic environments produces microplastics that can enter human bodies through the food chain, skin-contact products, and bottled water, and outlined current and emerging solutions to the global plastic waste crisis.
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.
Recommendation: Uncertainties about waste using an online survey and review approach: Environmentalist perceptions, household waste compositions and views from media and science — R0/PR2
A survey combined with a mini-review explored individuals' perceptions of their own waste generation, finding general concern about plastic pollution but limited understanding of personal contribution. Better public awareness of household plastic waste behaviors is important for designing effective policies to reduce the plastic entering the environment and eventually fragmenting into microplastics.
Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics
This UN Environment Programme report reviews the science on marine plastic debris and microplastics, identifies priority areas for action, and calls for improved waste management to reduce plastic flowing into oceans. It synthesizes existing research and provides policy recommendations for governments and industry.
Plastic Waste: Challenges and Opportunities to Mitigate Pollution and Effective Management
Researchers reviewed plastic waste generation and management strategies globally, identifying lack of technical skills, inadequate recycling infrastructure, and poor regulatory awareness as the main barriers to addressing the ~400 million tons of plastic produced annually.
Plastic Waste and Pollution: An Evidence-Based review to Support WUP Policy Formation
This evidence-based review synthesized global literature on plastic pollution to support policy development at Wesleyan University Philippines, finding that inefficient waste management, single-use plastics, and low public awareness are the main drivers and recommending bans, recycling investment, and education programs.
Marine debris: A review of impacts and global initiatives
This review provides a comprehensive overview of marine debris and its environmental, economic, and social impacts worldwide. Researchers found that plastics represent 50 to 90 percent of all marine debris, with millions of metric tonnes entering the oceans annually. The study surveys global policy initiatives aimed at reducing marine litter and identifies the need for more coordinated international action to address this pervasive pollution problem.
Plastic Footprint
This review discussed the global scale of plastic pollution—approximately 400 million tons of waste generated annually—and examined how plastics degrade into micro- and nanoplastics that accumulate in the food chain, climate system, and human body.
Plastic waste discharge to the global ocean constrained by seawater observations
Researchers used ocean plastic concentration data combined with multiple ocean circulation models to estimate that approximately 0.7 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, though uncertainty spans nearly 1.5 orders of magnitude. The study emphasizes that improving emission inventories and ocean monitoring data are the highest priorities for reducing uncertainty in global plastic pollution estimates.
Plastic Waste: Current Environmental Pollution, Health Hazard and Biodegradation Strategies and Its Management
This review paper surveys the scope of global plastic pollution, covering environmental contamination, health hazards, and biodegradation strategies. The study highlights that with plastic production exceeding 390 million tons by 2021, effective waste management and biodegradation approaches are urgently needed to address microplastic accumulation.
US plastics and recycling troubles will worsen
This commentary critiques U.S. plastics legislation for studying the problem rather than committing to meaningful policy action. The author warns that microplastic proliferation will continue with uncertain health consequences, and that a change in administration would likely further delay federal efforts to address plastic waste.
Analysis of Marine Plastic Pollution and Environmental Problems
This review examines the sources, environmental and socioeconomic effects, and policy responses to marine plastic pollution, finding that while scientific knowledge is substantial, policy and regulatory initiatives have so far been inadequate and inconsistent across countries. The paper calls for stronger international coordination and more effective governance tools to meaningfully reduce plastic inputs to the ocean.
Global analysis of marine plastics and implications of control measure strategies
This study provides a global overview of ocean plastic pollution, finding that plastic production has grown dramatically since the 1950s and over 1,000 rivers contribute 80% of the plastic entering oceans, with Asia as the largest source. Small microplastics dominate ocean surface contamination by particle count, even though larger pieces account for more mass. The review highlights that without major changes in waste management and recycling, plastic pollution will continue to threaten marine food chains and the people who depend on seafood.
Microplastic Pollution in Oceans
This review provides an overview of microplastic pollution in the world's oceans, covering sources, distribution patterns, ecological impacts, and the challenges of monitoring and remediation at global scale. The authors emphasize the urgent need for international policy coordination and improved waste management.
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.
Plastic Pollution & Solution
This review examines plastic waste management strategies across the plastic lifecycle, noting that landfilling remains the dominant approach despite its environmental and health drawbacks. It concludes that recycling and energy recovery offer better outcomes than landfilling, which is relevant to microplastics because improper disposal accelerates the fragmentation of plastics into smaller particles that enter ecosystems.
Ocean plastics: environmental implications and potential routes for mitigation – a perspective
This review provides an overview of ocean plastic pollution, covering the major sources of both micro and macro plastics and how they distribute across marine environments. The study discusses environmental effects on marine life and evaluates potential solutions including biodegradable alternatives, improved waste management, and international policy efforts to reduce plastic entering the oceans.
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.