Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2018 Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) 2 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

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

Overview of Legal and Policy Framework Approaches for Plastic Bag Waste Management in African Countries

This systematic review examines how African countries have used bans and fees to manage plastic bag waste since 2004. It found that poor enforcement, industry resistance, and lack of affordable alternatives have limited the effectiveness of these policies across the continent. Reducing plastic bag use is important because bags break down into microplastics that contaminate soil, water, and food.

2020 Journal of Environmental and Public Health 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors Related to Reducing The Use of Plastic Bags in Kabupaten Bekasi

This Indonesian survey study examined the factors that influence whether people in Bekasi Regency reduce their use of plastic bags, finding that knowledge, attitudes, and access to alternatives were key predictors. Reducing single-use plastic bag consumption is important for limiting the amount of plastic that fragments into microplastics in the environment. The paper provides insights for designing behavior-change interventions aimed at plastic pollution reduction.

2021 Muhammadiyah International Public Health and Medicine Proceeding
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
Article Tier 2

Influencing Factors of Plastic Waste Pollution Reduction in Kinshasa

A survey of 267 people in Kinshasa examined what factors influence plastic waste reduction behavior. Results identified education, awareness, and access to waste management infrastructure as key drivers of reduced plastic pollution, with implications for designing effective behavior change interventions in urban African settings.

2020 Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Behavioural Patterns of Plastic Use by Indigenes of Ho: Influence of Awareness Levels, Attitudinal Change and Legislative Frameworks

This study surveyed residents of Ho, Ghana about their plastic use behaviors, finding that legislative frameworks were the most significant factor influencing behavior change over individual awareness or attitudes. This finding suggests that regulatory approaches may be more effective than education campaigns alone for reducing plastic waste that becomes microplastics.

2023 Environmental Management and Sustainable Development
Article Tier 2

Ubiquitous Presence of Microplastics (MPs): A Review of Occurrence, Abundances, Spatial Distribution and Future Effects in the Surface Waters, Kenya

This review examines the occurrence, abundances, spatial distribution, and potential future impacts of microplastics in surface waters across Kenya, synthesizing available research on plastic pollution in freshwater and marine systems following Kenya's 2018 single-use plastic ban. The paper highlights the growing body of research on microplastic pathways and accumulation in Kenyan water bodies and identifies knowledge gaps requiring further monitoring.

2025 Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environment & Ecosystem science 17 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

Ban the Bag: Support for Plastic Bag Reduction Strategies in Northeast Ohio

This study surveyed public support for plastic bag reduction policies in northeast Ohio, finding strong backing for both voluntary and regulatory measures. Public attitudes toward plastic reduction policies are important for understanding the political feasibility of regulations aimed at reducing microplastic pollution at its source.

2021 Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated LCA and OPEN LCA-CML baseline analysis on environmental impact associated with the plastic packaging waste management system of Rubavu city Rwanda

Researchers used life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts of different plastic bottle waste management pathways in Rwanda, where bottles currently end up in an open dumpsite. The study identifies which waste management changes would most reduce the plastic that eventually fragments into environmental microplastics.

2021 International Journal Of Scientific Advances 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Country-level plastic bag legislation against plastic waste and select Human Development Indices

This dataset cataloged single-use plastic bag legislation in 190 countries, categorizing bans, taxes, and other regulatory approaches, and linked them to plastic waste generation and human development indicators. Plastic bag bans and taxes directly reduce a major source of plastic debris that fragments into environmental microplastics.

2021 Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)
Article Tier 2

Consumer Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors towards the Use of Plastic Bags in the Kingdom of BAHRAIN

A survey of consumer knowledge and attitudes toward plastic bag use in Bahrain found that despite awareness of environmental harms, usage remains high due to convenience and free availability. While the study touches on plastic pollution broadly, it does not present microplastic research data and is more a behavioral/policy study.

2023 International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Regulation of the use of plastic bags: how the law acts to control pollution and environmental damage in Bangka Belitung

This empirical legal study analyzes the regulatory framework governing plastic bag use in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province of Indonesia, the 4th most microplastic-polluted province by river contamination, and evaluates how provincial and district-level government can implement mitigation measures. The research highlights gaps between existing regulations and effective enforcement in controlling plastic pollution.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic literature review of voluntary behaviour change approaches in single use plastic reduction

This systematic review examines efforts to voluntarily reduce single-use plastic consumption through behavior change rather than legislation. The research finds that while government bans on plastics are effective, voluntary approaches that respect individual choice can also make a difference. Understanding what motivates people to reduce plastic use is key to tackling the microplastic pollution problem at its source.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Examining Options for Mitigating Microplastic Pollution in the Nairobi River Basin, Kenya

This paper surveys microplastic pollution in the Nairobi River Basin in Kenya, where over half the city's population lives in informal settlements along riverbanks with little waste management infrastructure, and an estimated 67 tonnes of plastic waste enter the river daily. The authors assess current plastic waste management efforts and propose mitigation options, arguing that proactive upstream waste management is more effective than downstream clean-up. The study illustrates how microplastic pollution is a particularly acute problem in rapidly urbanising cities in the Global South.

2023 Journal of Engineering in Agriculture and the Environment
Article Tier 2

Exploring the alternative solutions and strategies of toledo city government for the damaging impact of single-use plastic bag in the environment

Residents of Toledo City in the Philippines were surveyed about their concerns regarding single-use plastic disposal and their views on government strategies to address the problem, with results showing strong public awareness and support for bans and alternatives. The study highlights community attitudes as an important input for designing effective municipal plastic waste reduction policies.

2022 ScienceRise 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of Plastic Usage and the Factors Associated With It Among Adults in Perambalur District of South India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Researchers surveyed 1,200 adults in South India about their plastic use habits, finding that 92.5% use plastic daily despite widespread awareness of its harms and local bans on plastic bags. The study found that younger, urban, more educated, and male participants were the heaviest plastic users, indicating that awareness alone is not enough to change behavior.

2023 Cureus 3 citations
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

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

Towards Climate Resilience: A Comprehensive Study on Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Single-Use Plastic Sheets in Somalia

This study analyzed Somali government policy banning single-use plastic sheets, examining environmental motivations, implementation challenges, and the potential for eco-friendly alternatives to support climate resilience in a resource-limited context.

2024 International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
Article Tier 2

Development of a New Conceptual Model: Consumers’ Purchase Intention towards Eco-friendly Bags

This paper is not about microplastics; it proposes a consumer behavior model to understand factors influencing purchase intentions toward eco-friendly bags as a plastic reduction strategy.

2023 International Journal of Management Technology and Social Sciences 7 citations