Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

On the Challenge of Plastic Wastes and Litter in Oceans: Some Policy Reflections

This policy analysis discusses the growing crisis of plastic litter in the world's oceans, reviewing international agreements and national policies aimed at reducing ocean plastic pollution. The authors argue that current policy efforts fall far short of what is needed and propose stronger global governance frameworks.

2021 Environmental Policy and Law
Article Tier 2

Legal Approaches to Reduce Plastic Marine Pollution: Challenges and Global Governance

This review examined legal approaches to reducing marine plastic pollution and found that while international frameworks like the International Maritime Organization's MARPOL Annex V and regional agreements provide useful foundations, significant governance gaps and enforcement challenges remain in addressing the global scale of marine plastic contamination.

2021 ANNALS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PERSPECTIVE 32 citations
Article Tier 2

International Legal Systems in Tackling the Marine Plastic Pollution: A Critical Analysis of UNCLOS and MARPOL

This legal analysis examines how two major international agreements, UNCLOS and MARPOL, address marine plastic pollution and identifies significant gaps in their ability to reduce it. The existing laws lack enforceable requirements for reducing land-based plastic waste and have uneven enforcement of rules for ship-based discharges. The paper proposes strengthening international law to promote a circular economy approach, which matters because marine plastic breaks down into microplastics that enter the seafood supply.

2025 Water 9 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

Why we need an international agreement on marine plastic pollution

This commentary argues for the establishment of an international agreement to address marine plastic pollution, noting that plastic debris including microplastics is a pervasive global threat to marine biodiversity, ecosystem services, and potentially human health. The authors highlight that existing regulatory frameworks are insufficient to manage the transboundary nature of the problem. The study calls for measurable reduction targets and coordinated international action to curb the flow of plastic into the world's oceans.

2017 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 275 citations
Article Tier 2

International treaties, national laws, and best legal practices for addressing plastic pollution in the oceans

This thesis examines plastic pollution in the world's oceans through the lens of international treaties, national laws, and social dynamics, evaluating the effectiveness of existing legal frameworks and best practices for addressing the growing crisis of marine plastic contamination.

2025
Article Tier 2

Liability and Compensation for Marine Plastic Pollution: Conceptual Issues and Possible Ways Forward

This paper reviews international legal frameworks for holding polluters liable for marine plastic pollution, finding that existing liability mechanisms are largely inadequate. Stronger international legal tools would create financial incentives for companies to reduce plastic waste before it reaches the ocean.

2020 AJIL Unbound 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance

This paper frames plastic pollution of the world's seas and oceans as a defining contemporary challenge in ocean stewardship, reviewing the scale of the problem and arguing for urgent policy and management responses.

2018 Nature Communications 492 citations
Article Tier 2

International Water Law’s Role in Addressing the Problem of Marine Plastic Pollution: A Vital Piece in a Complex Puzzle!

This legal analysis examined the role of international water law in addressing marine plastic pollution, arguing that existing water governance frameworks have largely overlooked plastics as a water resource management problem. The author advocates for integrating plastic pollution controls into international water law instruments.

2022 Chinese Journal of Environmental Law 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish Don't Litter in Your House: Is International Law the Solution to the Plastic Pollution Problem?

This legal analysis examines whether existing international law is adequate to address ocean plastic pollution, critiquing current binding and non-binding environmental agreements and proposing improvements. Stronger international legal frameworks are seen as essential for reducing the global plastic waste that breaks down into microplastics in the world's oceans.

2020 Pace international law review 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Explore the Impact of Marine Plastic Pollution and Countermeasures

This paper reviewed the scope of marine plastic pollution, its distribution across ocean ecosystems, and its socioeconomic effects on coastal communities, finding that existing international agreements and waste management efforts remain insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

2025 MATEC Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Combating plastic pollution in international law: lex lata and lex ferenda

This paper examines the current state of international law addressing plastic pollution, analyzing both existing legal frameworks and proposed future regulations. The study highlights that global plastic production has surged to 390 million tons annually with only 9% recycled, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive international treaty.

2024 Moscow Journal of International Law 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Penanggulangan Pencemaran Sampah Plastik Di Laut Berdasarkan Hukum Internasional

This Indonesian-language paper reviews international law frameworks for addressing marine plastic pollution, noting that approximately 80% of solid marine debris is plastic. The study discusses how international legal instruments can be strengthened to address the management of plastic waste that becomes marine microplastics.

2020 Jurnal IUS Kajian Hukum dan Keadilan 26 citations
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

Dilemma in global governance of marine plastic pollution and regulatory coordination: convention reconstruction via integrated international law

This legal analysis examined fragmented international governance of marine plastic pollution across 17 instruments including UNCLOS, MARPOL, and regional conventions, identifying a gap between soft law priorities and binding enforcement for microplastics. The authors proposed an integrated umbrella convention framework with specialized protocols to align the Global Plastic Treaty with existing agreements and establish enforceable plastic production caps.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 2 citations
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

Marine Plastic Monitoring, Assessment, and Policy

This review covers the current state of marine plastic monitoring systems, assessment frameworks, and policy instruments globally, examining data collection methods, international agreements, and gaps in enforcement. The authors highlight that inconsistent monitoring protocols and lack of binding global treaty mechanisms remain critical barriers to effective marine plastic governance.

2025
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

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

Beyond surface: Unveiling ecological and economic ramifications of microplastic pollution in the oceans

This review examines the ecological and economic damage caused by microplastic pollution in the world's oceans, where 400 million metric tons of plastic waste are generated annually. The paper argues that international legislation and a global plastics treaty are essential to shift toward a circular plastics economy and prevent further harm to marine ecosystems. Without decisive action, microplastic pollution will continue to threaten both ocean health and the communities that depend on marine resources.

2024 Water Environment Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Plastic Pollution and International Legal and Policy Responses

This Japanese legal review examines international efforts to create a binding treaty to end plastic pollution, analyzing what elements are needed based on experience with prior environmental agreements. The paper is particularly relevant given the ongoing United Nations negotiations toward a global plastics treaty.

2023 Material Cycles and Waste Management Research
Article Tier 2

Environmental legislation analysis improvement approach of global marine plastic pollution from the perspective of holistic system view

This review analyzes international laws and regulations aimed at preventing marine plastic pollution, from United Nations conventions to individual country legislation. The authors find that current legal frameworks are fragmented and fail to address the full scope of the problem, including microplastics entering human bloodstreams through the food chain. They propose a comprehensive Marine Plastics Convention that emphasizes environmental justice and stricter risk prevention measures.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Governance solutions to the 'tragedy' of marine plastics

This paper analyzed the governance challenges of marine plastic pollution, framing it as a collective action problem similar to a tragedy of the commons and reviewing international governance frameworks for addressing it. The authors argue that current mechanisms are insufficient and propose strengthened global governance solutions.

2018 Figshare
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