Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2022 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Summarizing the impacts of policies that limit the use of single-use plastic items: a systematic literature review

This systematic review summarizes research on policies that restrict single-use plastics, finding they reduce plastic consumption by an average of 62%. The findings matter for human health because less single-use plastic means fewer microplastics entering the environment, our water supply, and ultimately our bodies.

2025 Journal of integrated global STEM 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Legislation to limit the environmental plastic and microplastic pollution and their influence on human exposure

This review surveys global legislation aimed at limiting plastic and microplastic pollution, including bans on single-use items, recycling mandates, and clean-up initiatives across different countries. The study also discusses how these regulations may help reduce human exposure to plastics and their associated toxic chemicals, though enforcement and scope remain uneven worldwide.

2021 Environmental Pollution 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects and Solutions of Single use Plastic

This review summarizes the harmful environmental effects of single-use plastics at local and global scales and surveys government and scientific solutions being implemented worldwide, arguing that plastic pollution is a global challenge requiring coordinated international action and new material substitutes.

2022 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
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

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

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.

2015 Environmental Health Perspectives 73 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Management strategies for single-use plastics: lessons to learn from Indian approach of minimizing microplastic waste

A review of India's experience with banning single-use plastics identified key lessons for effective policy design, including enforcement challenges and the importance of viable alternatives. The authors argue that managing single-use plastic waste is essential for reducing downstream microplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact 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.

2023 Sustainability 12 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

The Environmental Challenges of Polythene and Production and Prevention Legislation in the World

This review examines the global environmental impact of polythene plastic pollution, discussing its effects on aquatic ecosystems and public health while analyzing the international and regional legislative frameworks aimed at reducing plastic production and use.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 11 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

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.

2021 Discover Sustainability 65 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Global perceptions of plastic pollution: The contours and limits of debate

This review analyzed 39 peer-reviewed studies on public perceptions of plastic pollution, finding that research discourse is narrowly focused on marine impacts and single-use plastics while largely ignoring broader plastic pollution contexts relevant to international treaty negotiations.

2023 Cambridge Prisms Plastics 4 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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Environmental Impact of Plastic Waste: Strategies for Sustainable Management

This systematic review summarizes the environmental and health impacts of plastic waste and evaluates strategies for sustainable management. It highlights that plastic pollution threatens ecosystems and human health through microplastic contamination, and examines approaches like recycling, biodegradable alternatives, and policy interventions to reduce exposure.

2025 International Journal of Integrative Studies (IJIS)
Article Tier 2

The Role of Public Health Laws in Combating Plastic Pollution in Nigeria: Lessons from Other selected Jurisdictions

This legal analysis examines how public health laws could be used to combat plastic pollution in Nigeria, drawing on regulatory approaches from other countries. The paper argues that stronger legislation governing single-use plastics and waste management is essential to address the severe environmental and health consequences of plastic pollution in Nigeria.

2020 eYLS (Yale Law School) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Review: Global perceptions of plastic pollution: The contours and limits of debate — R0/PR2

This review analyzes 39 peer-reviewed studies on public perceptions of plastic pollution, finding that debate is largely focused on marine environments and single-use plastics. The review notes gaps in public awareness of microplastics' health effects and calls for better communication to inform policy negotiations.

2023
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

Evaluating the Environmental and Health Impacts of Disposable Plastics: Toward Sustainable Material Alternatives

This review examined the environmental and health impacts of disposable plastics and explored sustainable alternatives, drawing on secondary literature across environmental science and health disciplines. The paper assessed plastic waste contributions to ocean pollution and proposed strategies to mitigate these challenges.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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