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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Overview of Legal and Policy Framework Approaches for Plastic Bag Waste Management in African Countries
ClearImpact of Policy Design on Plastic Waste Reduction in Africa
This paper is not about microplastics; it analyzes the design and effectiveness of single-use plastic bag policies across 39 African countries, identifying policy gaps that allow plastic waste to persist despite widespread bans.
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.
Addressing the single-use plastic proliferation problem
This review examined the effectiveness of single-use plastic bans as a policy tool for addressing plastic pollution, evaluating evidence on their environmental impact and discussing alternative regulatory approaches. The authors found that while bans have reduced certain plastic categories, broader systemic changes to plastic production and waste management are needed.
Breaking the plastic cycle in Africa: Advancing sustainable solutions for single-use plastic reduction in marine ecosystem beyond current policies
This paper reviews the scale of single-use plastic pollution across Africa and evaluates current policies for reducing plastic waste in marine ecosystems. The analysis calls for stronger and more targeted interventions given Africa's rapidly growing plastic waste output and limited recycling infrastructure.
Influence of Polythene Bag Alternatives on Compliance to Environmental Legislation on Polythene Bag Ban in Rongai Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya
This study examined whether the availability of polythene bag alternatives influenced compliance with Kenya's plastic bag ban, finding that access to alternatives supports environmental legislation. Reducing plastic bag use is an important step in cutting the volume of plastic that eventually breaks down into microplastics.
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.
Ensuring sustainability in plastics use in Africa: consumption, waste generation, and projections
This review examines plastic consumption, waste generation, and future projections for African nations, finding rapidly increasing plastic use alongside limited waste management infrastructure. The study calls for African-specific sustainability policies to prevent a major escalation in plastic pollution as economic development accelerates across the continent.
Removing barriers to plastic waste valorisation in Africa: Towards policies for value creation and capture in business ecosystems
This review examines the barriers preventing plastic waste valorisation in Africa and analyses why policy interventions have not yet led to substantial value creation and capture within low-income country business ecosystems. The authors propose policy frameworks targeted at stimulating circular economy approaches to plastic waste that account for the specific economic and institutional contexts of African markets.
Plastic waste management strategies toward zero waste: Status, perspectives and recommendations for Ethiopia
This review assesses Ethiopia's plastic waste crisis, finding that excessive plastic use has worsened environmental pollution, contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss, and public health impacts. The study recommends strategies including banning single-use plastics, improving recycling infrastructure, and developing biodegradable alternatives. While focused on Ethiopia, the findings illustrate how developing countries face growing microplastic pollution from inadequate waste management systems.
Managing Marine Plastic Pollution: Policy Initiatives to Address Wayward Waste
This policy analysis reviews local, national, and international initiatives aimed at reducing marine plastic pollution, from plastic bag bans to proposed international agreements. While policy action is growing, the article highlights that global coordination and enforcement remain major challenges in meaningfully reducing ocean plastic waste.
Quantifying Plastic Waste and Microplastic Contamination in African Aquatic Systems: An Imperative for Sustainable Waste Management
This review assessed the scale of plastic waste and microplastic contamination in African aquatic systems, finding that inadequate waste management infrastructure amplifies plastic pollution in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters across the continent.
Strategic management of plastic pollution in Nigeria: Balancing best approaches
This paper analyzed Nigeria's legal framework for managing plastic pollution, finding that limited resources, inadequate monitoring, and lax enforcement create a significant gap between legislative intent and practical outcomes. The study recommended strengthened enforcement mechanisms, cross-sector collaboration, and tailored strategies for different forms of plastic waste including microplastics.
The Kenyan ban on plastic bags : a study of attitudes and adaptation in Nairobi
This study examined how Nairobi residents adapted to Kenya's 2017 ban on plastic bags, finding that most complied with the ban but concerns remained about enforcement consistency and availability of alternatives. The research provides insights into the social dynamics of plastic bag bans that can inform other countries considering similar policies.
Perspectives on Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Possible Solutions to Ensure Its Sustainable Use
This review argues that banning all plastics is not realistic and instead calls for better waste management, recycling technology, and circular economy approaches to reduce plastic pollution. The authors outline strategies including biodegradable alternatives, improved recycling infrastructure, and policy changes to minimize plastic entering the environment. Reducing plastic waste at the source is critical for lowering human exposure to microplastics in food, water, and air.
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.
Break Free from Plastics: Environmental Perspectives and Evidence from Rwanda
This paper reviews plastic pollution challenges in Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa, documenting evidence of microplastic contamination in inland and coastal waters and evaluating the effectiveness of plastic bans and extended producer responsibility policies in reducing plastic waste.
Assessing the impact of banning the single-use plastic carrier bags: a case study for Kenyan marine environment looking at macro, meso, and microplastics
Researchers assessed the impact of Kenya's single-use plastic carrier bag ban on marine plastic pollution along the country's coastline. While the ban appeared to reduce the proportion of carrier bags in beach litter, packaging plastics remained the most common type of debris found. The study suggests that banning one category of plastic products alone is insufficient to address the broader problem of marine plastic pollution without tackling other major sources.
Reducing plastic waste
This paper examined strategies and policy mechanisms for reducing plastic waste, reviewing effectiveness of bans, extended producer responsibility, and behavior change interventions in different national contexts.
Single-use Plastic Ban and its Public Health Impacts: A Narrative Review
This review examines global policies and bans on single-use plastics, finding that they have helped reduce plastic pollution in some regions. However, enforcement and public health impacts vary widely, and more consistent international policy is needed to effectively address plastic waste.
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.
Exploring the toxicology, socio-ecological impacts and biodegradation of microplastics in Africa: Potentials for resource conservation
This review examines the production, toxicology, and socio-ecological impacts of microplastic pollution across Africa, where limited waste management infrastructure and weak policy enforcement intensify the problem. Researchers found that microplastics threaten aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, reduce fertility in organisms, and disrupt economic activities. The study calls for expanded recycling, upcycling, and biodegradation strategies tailored to the African context to mitigate plastic pollution.
Assessing the impact of banning the single use plastic carrier bags: A case study for Kenyan marine environment
This study assessed the impact of Kenya's ban on single-use plastic bags on marine plastic pollution, finding changes in plastic litter composition at eleven coastal sites. Policy interventions like bag bans can measurably reduce certain types of plastic pollution in marine environments.
Panacea for the nanoplastic surge in Africa: A state-of-the-art review
This review examines the nanoplastic pollution crisis across Africa, where improper plastic waste management has led to widespread contamination of water, soil, sediments, air, and food from fragmented and biodegraded plastics. The review evaluates existing and emerging mitigation strategies and calls for region-specific policy and technological solutions to address the rapidly growing nanoplastic burden across the continent.
Effectiveness of intervention on behaviour change against use of non-biodegradable plastic bags: a systematic review
Researchers systematically reviewed government policies aimed at reducing single-use plastic bag consumption, finding that outright bans and higher consumer taxes are significantly more effective than regulations based only on bag thickness. The results show that well-designed public policy can shift consumer behavior toward more sustainable choices, though the behavioral changes can fade without ongoing reinforcement.