plastic pollution problem solution essay

Plastic Pollution Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on plastic pollution.

Plastic is everywhere nowadays. People are using it endlessly just for their comfort. However, no one realizes how it is harming our planet. We need to become aware of the consequences so that we can stop plastic pollution . Kids should be taught from their childhood to avoid using plastic. Similarly, adults must check each other on the same. In addition, the government must take stringent measures to stop plastic pollution before it gets too late.

Uprise of Plastic Pollution

Plastic has become one of the most used substances. It is seen everywhere these days, from supermarkets to common households. Why is that? Why is the use of plastic on the rise instead of diminishing? The main reason is that plastic is very cheap. It costs lesser than other alternatives like paper and cloth. This is why it is so common.

Secondly, it is very easy to use. Plastic can be used for almost anything either liquid or solid. Moreover, it comes in different forms which we can easily mold.

Furthermore, we see that plastic is a non-biodegradable material. It does not leave the face of the Earth . We cannot dissolve plastic in land or water, it remains forever. Thus, more and more use of plastic means more plastic which won’t get dissolved. Thus, the uprise of plastic pollution is happening at a very rapid rate.

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Impact of Plastic Pollution

Plastic Pollution is affecting the whole earth, including mankind, wildlife, and aquatic life. It is spreading like a disease which has no cure. We all must realize the harmful impact it has on our lives so as to avert it as soon as possible.

Plastic pollutes our water. Each year, tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean. As plastic does not dissolve, it remains in the water thereby hampering its purity. This means we won’t be left with clean water in the coming years.

Furthermore, plastic pollutes our land as well. When humans dump Plastic waste into landfills, the soil gets damaged. It ruins the fertility of the soil. In addition to this, various disease-carrying insects collect in that area, causing deadly illnesses.

Should Plastic Be Banned? Read the Essay here

Most importantly, plastic pollution harms the Marine life . The plastic litter in the water is mistaken for food by the aquatic animals. They eat it and die eventually. For instance, a dolphin died due to a plastic ring stuck in its mouth. It couldn’t open its mouth due to that and died of starvation. Thus, we see how innocent animals are dying because of plastic pollution.

In short, we see how plastic pollution is ruining everyone’s life on earth. We must take major steps to prevent it. We must use alternatives like cloth bags and paper bags instead of plastic bags. If we are purchasing plastic, we must reuse it. We must avoid drinking bottled water which contributes largely to plastic pollution. The government must put a plastic ban on the use of plastic. All this can prevent plastic pollution to a large extent.

FAQs on Plastic Pollution Essay

Q.1 Why is plastic pollution on the rise?

A.1 Plastic Pollution is on the rise because nowadays people are using plastic endlessly. It is very economical and easily available. Moreover, plastic does not dissolve in the land or water, it stays for more than hundred years contributing to uprise of plastic pollution.

Q.2 How is plastic pollution impacting the earth?

A.2 Plastic pollution is impacting the earth in various ways. Firstly, it is polluting our water. This causes a shortage of clean water and thus we cannot have enough supply for all. Moreover, it is also ruining our soils and lands. The soil fertility is depleting and disease-carrying insects are collecting in landfills of plastic.

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Essay on Plastic Pollution

Introduction

Plastic pollution has become a critical environmental challenge, presenting a major threat to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health on a global scale. Defined as the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, this issue has reached alarming levels due to the pervasive use of single-use plastics and inadequate waste management systems. For instance, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, spanning an area twice the size of Texas, is a stark reminder of the scale of this problem. As plastics persist in the environment for hundreds of years, they degrade into smaller particles known as microplastics, infiltrating even the most remote ecosystems. This essay will examine the effects, reasons, and remedies for plastic pollution , emphasizing the immediate necessity for collective action to tackle this worldwide crisis.

Significance of the Issue

The significance of plastic pollution extends beyond environmental concerns to encompass economic, social, and health implications. Here are several key points outlining its significance:

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• Environmental Degradation: Plastic pollution disrupts ecosystems, harming wildlife through ingestion, entanglement, and habitat destruction. It contaminates soil, waterways, and oceans, altering natural landscapes and threatening biodiversity .
• Human Health Risks: Plastics release harmful chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which can leach into food and water and pose health risks such as hormonal disruption, reproductive issues, and cancer.
• Economic Costs: Plastic pollution imposes significant economic burdens on communities and industries, including costs associated with cleanup efforts, damage to tourism and fisheries, and losses in agricultural productivity.
• Marine Debris: Plastic debris in oceans severely threatens marine life. Millions of seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals perish yearly due to consuming or becoming entangled in plastic waste.
• Microplastic Contamination: Microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size, have infiltrated marine and terrestrial environments, entering the food chain and potentially exposing humans to harmful toxins.
• Global Scale: Plastic pollution is a global issue, transcending national borders and affecting all continents. The interconnected nature of marine currents means that plastic waste generated in one region can travel thousands of kilometers, exacerbating the problem on a global scale.
• Long-term Persistence: Plastics can persist in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years, accumulating over time and exacerbating the problem of pollution. This persistence makes plastic pollution a long-term and challenging issue to address.
• Environmental Justice: Plastic pollution disproportionately affects marginalized communities and developing countries with limited waste management resources, exacerbating social inequalities and environmental injustices.

Types of Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution comes in various forms, each with its own set of environmental impacts. Here are some common types of plastic pollution:

• Single-Use Plastics: Manufacturers design items like plastic bags, straws, bottles, and packaging for one-time use before users discard them. They majorly contribute to plastic pollution due to their widespread consumption and improper disposal.
• Microplastics: These are minute plastic particles measuring less than 5mm, either intentionally produced for specific uses (such as microbeads in cosmetics) or generated through the degradation of larger plastic items. Microplastics are widely distributed in the environment, existing in oceans , soil , and even the air .
• Macroplastics: Larger plastic items, such as fishing nets, buoys, and packaging materials, contribute to visible pollution in water bodies and on land. These items can entangle marine life and pose a hazard to wildlife.
• Nurdles: Nurdles are small, pellet-like plastic raw materials used in manufacturing plastic products. Accidental spills during transportation or handling can lead to nurdle pollution in waterways, where they can be mistaken for food by marine animals.
• Plastic Bags: The convenience of lightweight, long-lasting plastic bags for shopping and packaging comes at a cost: significant environmental pollution . This is because they are rarely recycled and often thrown away improperly.
• Expanded Polystyrene (Styrofoam): Styrofoam products, such as food containers and packaging materials, are lightweight and easily carried by wind and water, leading to widespread pollution in urban and natural environments.
• Plastic Packaging: Excessive packaging, especially non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle materials, contributes to plastic pollution by generating large amounts of waste that often end up in landfills or the environment.

Causes of Plastic Pollution

Human activities and a combination of societal, economic, and environmental factors primarily cause plastic pollution. Here are some key causes of plastic pollution:

• Poor Waste Management: Inadequate waste management systems, including insufficient recycling infrastructure and improper disposal practices, litter plastic waste or end up in landfills, waterways, and oceans.
• Plastic Production and Consumption: The increasing production and consumption of plastics, driven by consumer demand and industrial processes, lead to a higher volume of plastic waste entering the environment.
• Lack of Recycling: Many plastics need to be recycled due to low recycling rates, limited recycling facilities, and the complexity of recycling certain types of plastics.
• Plastic Packaging: Excessive and unnecessary plastic packaging contributes to plastic pollution. Packaging materials often become waste after a single use, adding to the plastic waste stream.
• Mismanagement of Plastic Waste: Illegal dumping, littering, and inadequate waste collection and disposal practices contribute to plastic pollution, especially in urban areas and developing countries with limited waste management infrastructure.
• Plastic in Rivers and Waterways: Plastic waste from inland sources can be transported through rivers and waterways to the ocean, where it accumulates and contributes to marine plastic pollution.
• Loss and Abandonment of Fishing Gear: Discarded or lost fishing gear, such as nets and lines, is a significant source of marine plastic pollution, posing entanglement and ingestion risks to aquatic life.
• Microplastics from Synthetic Fibers: Synthetic fibers from clothing, textiles, and personal care products can shed microplastic particles during use and washing, contributing to microplastic pollution in the environment.
• Lack of Awareness and Education: Insufficient awareness of plastic pollution’s harmful environmental effects and the importance of proper waste disposal can lead to unsustainable habits and actions.

Human Health Implications

Plastic pollution has several human health implications, primarily due to the toxic chemicals present in plastics and the potential for ingestion of microplastics. Here are some key ways in which plastic pollution can impact human health:

• Chemical Exposure: Plastics contain a variety of chemicals, such as bisphenols (e.g., BPA) and phthalates, which are known to be endocrine disruptors. These chemicals can potentially migrate out of plastics and into food, drinks, and the surroundings, potentially exposing humans to harmful substances.
• Food and Water Contamination: Plastic packaging and containers can contaminate food and water with chemicals from the plastic, especially when exposed to heat or acidic conditions. This contamination can lead to ingesting harmful chemicals, posing risks to human health.
• Microplastic Ingestion: Microplastics, which are tiny particles of plastic less than 5mm in size, can be ingested through food, water, and air. Over time, these particles can accumulate in the body and may cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and other adverse health effects.
• Respiratory Issues: Burning plastic waste, a common disposal method in some areas, releases toxic fumes and particulate matter into the air. Breathing in these pollutants can cause respiratory issues and worsen pre-existing conditions.
• Endocrine Disruption: Some chemicals found in plastics, such as phthalates and bisphenols, can interfere with the body’s hormonal system, potentially leading to reproductive issues, developmental problems, and other health effects.
• Cancer Risk: Certain chemicals found in plastics, such as styrene and vinyl chloride, are classified as carcinogens and may increase the risk of cancer with long-term exposure.
• Immune System Effects: Exposure to chemicals in plastics can affect the immune system, potentially increasing susceptibility to infections and other immune-related disorders.
• Children’s Health: Children are especially susceptible to the health consequences of plastic pollution because of their developing bodies and behaviors that could lead to increased exposure, such as frequent hand-to-mouth contact

Global Efforts to Combat Plastic Pollution

In recent years, global efforts to combat plastic pollution have gained momentum, with various initiatives and actions taking place at international, national, and local levels. Here are some key global efforts to address plastic pollution:

• United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA): The UNEA has highlighted the issue of plastic pollution and called for action to address it. In 2019, the UNEA adopted a resolution on marine litter and microplastics, urging countries to take measures to reduce plastic waste.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UNEP has launched several initiatives to combat plastic pollution, including the Clean Seas campaign, which aims to reduce marine litter and raise awareness about the issue.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition: This global alliance of organizations, businesses , and individuals is working to reduce plastic pollution through advocacy, education, and collaboration.
• Ocean Cleanup Projects: Several organizations and initiatives are working on technologies and projects to remove plastic waste from the oceans, such as the Ocean Cleanup project and various beach cleanup efforts.
• International Agreements: Global agreements like the Basel Convention, Stockholm Convention, and Rotterdam Convention tackle the cross-border transport of hazardous waste, including plastic waste, with the goal of minimizing its impact on human health and the environment.
• Plastic Bag Bans: Numerous countries and regions have enforced prohibitions or limitations on single-use plastic bags to diminish plastic waste and promote the adoption of reusable alternatives.
• Circular Economy Initiatives: Initiatives aimed at advancing a circular economy, characterized by more efficient resource utilization and waste reduction, can aid in curtailing plastic pollution by ensuring that plastics are reused, recycled, or composted rather than being discarded as waste.
• Industry Initiatives: Many companies and industries are taking steps to reduce their use of plastic and promote recycling and reuse of plastics in their products and packaging.
• Education and Awareness Campaigns: Public education and awareness initiatives are vital in mitigating plastic pollution by motivating individuals to decrease their reliance on single-use plastics and embrace more sustainable behaviors.
• Research and Innovation: Continued research and innovation are essential for developing new technologies, materials, and solutions to address plastic pollution and promote a more sustainable approach to plastic use.

Solutions to Plastic Pollution

Tackling plastic pollution necessitates a holistic approach that encompasses reducing plastic production and consumption, enhancing waste management systems, advocating for recycling and reuse, and fostering innovation in materials and technologies. Here are some key solutions to plastic pollution:

• Reduce Single-Use Plastics: Encourage individuals and businesses to reduce the use of single-use plastics such as bags, straws, and bottles by opting for reusable alternatives.
• Improve Recycling Infrastructure: Invest in and expand recycling facilities and programs to ensure more plastics are recycled rather than ending up in landfills or the environment.
• Promote Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Hold producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products, including collection, recycling, and disposal, to incentivize the development of more sustainable packaging and products.
• Ban or Restrict Problematic Plastics: To reduce their environmental impact, implement bans or restrictions on certain types of single-use plastics, such as microbeads, styrofoam, and plastic bags.
• Encourage Innovation: Support research and development of alternative materials to plastics and innovative technologies for recycling and upcycling plastic waste.
• Clean-up Initiatives: Support and participate in clean-up efforts to remove plastic waste from the environment, especially in rivers, oceans, and coastal areas.
• Education and Awareness: Increase awareness about the environmental impact of plastic pollution and encourage sustainable practices among individuals, businesses, and communities.
• Policy and Regulation: Implementing and enforcing policies and regulations at all levels to reduce plastic pollution, including single-use plastic bans and mandatory recycling, is crucial.
• Invest in Sustainable Alternatives: Support developing and adopting sustainable alternatives to plastics, such as compostable materials and biodegradable plastics.
• Behavioral Change: To reduce plastic pollution, encourage changes in consumer behavior, such as choosing products with less packaging and properly disposing of plastic waste.

Various stakeholders must coordinate their efforts and overcome several obstacles to address plastic pollution. Here are some of the key challenges in combatting plastic pollution:

• Complexity of the Issue: Plastic pollution is a multifaceted problem with diverse sources, pathways, and impacts, making it challenging to address comprehensively.
• Global Nature: Plastic pollution transcends national borders and requires coordinated action at the international level, making it difficult to implement unified policies and regulations.
• Limited Recycling Infrastructure: Inadequate recycling infrastructure and low recycling rates in many regions hinder efforts to manage and recycle plastic waste effectively.
• Lack of Alternatives: While alternatives to plastics exist, such as biodegradable or compostable materials, they may only sometimes be readily available or economically viable, limiting their adoption.
• Consumer Behavior: Changing consumer behavior and reducing reliance on single-use plastics require significant education, awareness-raising, and incentivization efforts.
• Economic Factors: The production and use of plastics are deeply entrenched in global economies, and transitioning to more sustainable alternatives may face resistance from industries and businesses.
• Plastic Production: The continued growth of plastic production, driven by demand from various industries, poses a challenge to reducing plastic pollution.
• Policy Implementation: Enacting and enforcing policies and regulations to address plastic pollution may face political and logistical challenges, including opposition from stakeholders and the need for enforcement capacity.
• International Cooperation: Achieving meaningful progress in combating plastic pollution requires cooperation and collaboration among governments, businesses, NGOs, and other stakeholders, which can be challenging to achieve.

Future Outlook

The future outlook for addressing plastic pollution includes challenges, opportunities, and potential advancements. Here are some key aspects of the future outlook for combating plastic pollution:

• Increased Awareness and Action: There is growing global awareness about the severity of plastic pollution and its impacts on the environment and human health. This heightened awareness drives increased action at all levels, from grassroots initiatives to international agreements.
• Policy and Regulatory Changes: Governments worldwide are implementing policies and regulations to reduce plastic pollution, including bans on single-use plastics, extended producer responsibility schemes, and incentives for recycling and waste reduction.
• Technological Innovations: Technological advances, such as new materials, recycling technologies, and waste management systems, hold promise for more effectively addressing plastic pollution. Innovations such as biodegradable plastics, chemical recycling, and ocean cleanup technologies have the potential to reduce plastic waste significantly.
• Shift Towards Circular Economy: There is a growing recognition of the need to move away from a linear economy, which involves consuming products and disposing of them, towards a circular economy that focuses on using resources more efficiently and reducing waste. This shift towards a circular economy model can help reduce plastic pollution by promoting reuse, recycling, and resource efficiency.
• Consumer Behavior Change: Changing consumer attitudes and behaviors toward plastics, including reducing consumption, opting for reusable alternatives, and properly disposing of plastic waste, will be crucial for effectively addressing plastic pollution.
• Industry Action: Businesses and industries increasingly recognize the importance of addressing plastic pollution and are taking steps to reduce their plastic footprint. These initiatives include redesigning packaging, investing in recycling infrastructure, and incorporating recycled materials into products.
• International Collaboration: Addressing plastic pollution requires coordinated action at the global level, involving collaboration among governments, businesses, NGOs, and other stakeholders. International agreements and partnerships, such as the Basel Convention and the Global Plastic Action Partnership, play a crucial role in driving collective action.
• Research and Education: Continued research on the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution, alongside public education and awareness initiatives, will be vital for shaping policy decisions, fostering innovation, and garnering public support for action.

Addressing plastic pollution is imperative for safeguarding the environment, wildlife, and human health. While the challenges are significant, there is growing momentum and action at global, national, and local levels to tackle this issue. By implementing a combination of strategies, including reducing single-use plastics, improving waste management systems, promoting recycling and innovation, and fostering behavior change, we can make meaningful progress in reducing plastic pollution. It will require cooperation and commitment from governments, industries, communities, and individuals to transition towards a more sustainable, plastic-free future. Together, we can strive towards a cleaner, healthier planet for both present and future generations.

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A sea turtle mistakes a plastic bag for food. © Ben J. Hicks / benjhicks.com

One of the reasons that plastic pollution is such a problem is that it doesn’t go away: “plastics are forever.” Instead, plastic debris simply breaks down into ever-smaller particles, known as microplastics , whose environmental impacts are still being determined.

Plastic Pollution Solutions: 7 Things You Can Do Today

Everyone can do something to help solve the plastic pollution problem, and millions of people worldwide are already taking action to reduce their plastic use . Here are seven ways you can make a difference, starting today.

1. Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics

Wherever you live, the easiest and most direct way that you can get started is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded.

The best way to do this is by a) refusing any single-use plastics that you do not need (e.g. straws, plastic bags, takeout utensils, takeout containers), and b) purchasing, and carrying with you, reusable versions of those products, including reusable grocery bags , produce bags , bottles , utensils , coffee cups , and dry cleaning garment bags . And when you refuse single-use plastic items, help businesses by letting them know that you would like them to offer alternatives.

2. Support Legislation to Curb Plastic Production and Waste

As important as it is to change our individual behaviors, such changes alone are insufficient to stop ocean plastic pollution. We also need legislation that reduces plastic production, improves waste management, and makes plastic producers responsible for the waste they generate. There are a variety of ways that you can support local, national, and international legislation that provide critical solutions to reduce plastic pollution. One such effort in the United States is the 2021 Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act , a comprehensive federal bill that aims to address the plastic pollution crisis, and there are a number of state level initiatives to introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation that makes plastic producers and distributors responsible for their products and packaging at the end of life.

At the international level, hundreds of organizations and businesses successfully worked together with United Nations member states to enact a global plastics treaty , signed by 175 member states, that will set global rules and regulations to reduce plastic pollution. And legislation that limits, taxes, or bans unnecessary single use plastic items, such as plastic bags, takeout containers, and bottles, has been successfully enacted in many places globally, and you can support the adoption of such policies in your community too. Here is a comprehensive resource and toolkit on legislative approaches to limiting plastic bags, foodware, microplastics, and more.

3. Recycle Properly

This should go without saying, but when you use single-use (and other) plastics that can be recycled, always be sure to recycle them. At present, just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide . Recycling helps keep plastics out of the ocean and reduces the amount of “new” plastic in circulation. If you need help finding a place to recycle plastic waste near you, check Earth911’s recycling directory . It’s also important to check with your local recycling center about the types of plastic they accept.

4. Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup

Help remove plastics from the ocean and prevent them from getting there in the first place by participating in, or organizing a cleanup of your local beach or waterway . This is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to fight ocean plastic pollution. You can simply go to the beach or waterway and collect plastic waste on your own or with friends or family, or you can join a local organization’s cleanup or an international event like our Global Ocean Cleanup  or the International Coastal Cleanup .

  Take Our 7-Day Fight Plastic Waste Challenge Join the global movement to fight plastic waste with our 7-day challenge. With just a few minutes a day, you’ll be on your way to reducing ocean plastic pollution from home. Take the Challenge

5. Avoid Products Containing Microbeads

Tiny plastic particles, called “ microbeads ,” have become a growing source of ocean plastic pollution in recent years. Microbeads are found in some face scrubs, toothpastes, and bodywashes, and they readily enter our oceans and waterways through our sewer systems, and affect hundreds of marine species. Avoid products containing plastic microbeads by looking for “polythelene” and “polypropylene” on the ingredient labels of your cosmetic products (find a list of products containing microbeads here ).

6. Spread the Word

Stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution and help make others aware of the problem. Tell your friends and family about how they can be part of the solution, or host a viewing party for one of the many plastic pollution focused documentaries, like A Plastic Ocean , Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic , Bag It , Addicted to Plastic , Plasticized , or Garbage Island .

7. Support Organizations Addressing Plastic Pollution

There are many non-profit organizations working to reduce and eliminate ocean plastic pollution in a variety of different ways, including Oceanic Society , Plastic Pollution Coalition , 5 Gyres , Algalita , Plastic Soup Foundation , and others. These organizations rely on donations from people like you to continue their important work. Even small donations can make a big difference!

These seven ideas only scratch the surface for ways you can help address the growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. The important thing is that we all do something, no matter how small. For more ideas and resources, sign up to join our Blue Habits community of people worldwide committed to joyful daily actions that improve ocean health.

  Reduce Plastic Pollution From Home with Our 7-Day Challenge Join the global movement to fight plastic waste by participating in our 7-day challenge. Take the Challenge

Oceanic Society community members clean up San Francisco’s Ocean Beach.

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The World's Plastic Pollution Crisis Explained

Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up?

Conservation

Children Play among Plastic

While plastic pollution is a worldwide problem it is most obvious in less-wealthy African and Asian nations, like the Philippines. Here, children play among plastic waste on the shore of Manila Bay.

Photograph by Randy Olson

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. Plastic pollution is most visible in less-wealthy Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But wealthy nations, especially those with low recycling rates, also have trouble properly collecting discarded plastics. Plastic trash has become so ubiquitous it has prompted efforts to write a global treaty negotiated by the United Nations. How Did this Happen? Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II to the extent that life without plastics would be unimaginable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel and lessening pollution —and saved lives with helmets, incubators , and equipment for clean drinking water. The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: Today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, are used for mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Plastics by the Numbers Some key facts:

• Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.
• Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050.
• Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.
• Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

How Plastics Move around the World Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows from land. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream . Once at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world. On Henderson Island, an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Group isolated halfway between Chile and New Zealand, scientists found plastic items from Russia, the United States, Europe, South America, Japan, and China. They were carried to the South Pacific by the South Pacific gyre , a circular ocean current. Microplastics Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often less than half a centimer (one-fifth of an inch) across. These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough . Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastic microfibers (or the even smaller nanofibers), meanwhile, have been found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air. Harm to Wildlife Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species of seabird eats plastics. Most of the deaths to animals are caused by entanglement or starvation. Seals, whales, turtles, and other animals are strangled by  abandoned fishing gear or discarded six-pack rings. Microplastics have been found in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and mussels destined for our dinner plates. In many cases, these tiny bits pass through the digestive system and are expelled without consequence. But plastics have also been found to have blocked digestive tracts or pierced organs, causing death. Stomachs so packed with plastics reduce the urge to eat, causing starvation. Plastics have been consumed by land-based animals, including elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels, cattle, and other large mammals, in some cases causing death. Tests have also confirmed liver and cell damage and disruptions to  reproductive systems , prompting some species, such as oysters, to produce fewer eggs. New research shows that larval fish are eating nanofibers in the first days of life, raising new questions about the effects of plastics on fish populations. Stemming the Plastic Tide Once in the ocean, it is difficult—if not impossible—to retrieve plastic waste. Mechanical systems, such as Mr. Trash Wheel, a litter interceptor in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of plastic, such as foam cups and food containers, from inland waters. But once plastics break down into microplastics and drift throughout the water column in the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to recover. The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place, many scientists and conservationists—including the National Geographic Society—say. This could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling, better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.

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The problem of plastics

• Plastic pollution in oceans and on land
• Pollution by plastics additives
• Solving the problem

• What are the abiotic and biotic components of the biosphere?
• What is pollution?
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plastic pollution

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• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Plastic Pollution: A Perspective on Matters Arising: Challenges and Opportunities
• IUCN - The plastic pollution crisis
• Table Of Contents

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plastic pollution , accumulation in the environment of synthetic plastic products to the point that they create problems for wildlife and their habitats as well as for human populations . In 1907 the invention of Bakelite brought about a revolution in materials by introducing truly synthetic plastic resins into world commerce. By the end of the 20th century, plastics had been found to be persistent polluters of many environmental niches , from Mount Everest to the bottom of the sea . Whether being mistaken for food by animals , flooding low-lying areas by clogging drainage systems, or simply causing significant aesthetic blight , plastics have attracted increasing attention as a large-scale pollutant .

Plastic is a polymeric material —that is, a material whose molecules are very large, often resembling long chains made up of a seemingly endless series of interconnected links. Natural polymers such as rubber and silk exist in abundance, but nature’s “plastics” have not been implicated in environmental pollution , because they do not persist in the environment . Today, however, the average consumer comes into daily contact with all kinds of plastic materials that have been developed specifically to defeat natural decay processes—materials derived mainly from petroleum that can be molded, cast, spun, or applied as a coating. Since synthetic plastics are largely nonbiodegradable , they tend to persist in natural environments . Moreover, many lightweight single-use plastic products and packaging materials, which account for approximately 50 percent of all plastics produced, are not deposited in containers for subsequent removal to landfills , recycling centres, or incinerators . Instead, they are improperly disposed of at or near the location where they end their usefulness to the consumer. Dropped on the ground, thrown out of a car window , heaped onto an already full trash bin, or inadvertently carried off by a gust of wind , they immediately begin to pollute the environment . Indeed, landscapes littered by plastic packaging have become common in many parts of the world. (Illegal dumping of plastic and overflowing of containment structures also play a role.) Studies from around the world have not shown any particular country or demographic group to be most responsible, though population centres generate the most litter. The causes and effects of plastic pollution are truly worldwide.

According to the trade association PlasticsEurope, worldwide plastic production grew from some 1.5 million metric tons (about 1.7 million short tons) per year in 1950 to an estimated 275 million metric tons (about 303 million short tons) by 2010 and 359 million metric tons (nearly 396 million short tons) by 2018; between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons (5.3 million and 14 million short tons) are discarded into the oceans annually by countries with ocean coastlines.

Compared with materials in common use in the first half of the 20th century, such as glass , paper , iron , and aluminum , plastics have a low recovery rate. That is, they are relatively inefficient to reuse as recycled scrap in the manufacturing process, because of significant processing difficulties such as a low melting point, which prevents contaminants from being driven off during heating and reprocessing. Most recycled plastics are subsidized below the cost of raw materials by various deposit schemes, or their recycling is simply mandated by government regulations. Recycling rates vary dramatically from country to country, and only northern European countries obtain rates greater than 50 percent. In any case, recycling does not really address plastic pollution, since recycled plastic is “properly” disposed of, whereas plastic pollution comes from improper disposal.

Plastic factories like this one in China are increasing production of virgin plastic, even as plastic pollution sweeps into the oceans in record volumes.

Plastic pollution is a huge problem—and it’s not too late to fix it

Correcting our plastic waste problem requires a fundamental change in thinking about how plastics are made, used, and discarded, two new studies say.

The global campaign to gain control of plastic waste is one of the fastest-growing environmental causes ever mounted. Yet it hasn’t been enough to make a dent in the growing tonnage of discarded plastic that ends up in the seas.

In the next 10 years, the waste that slides into waterways, and ultimately the oceans , will reach 22 million tons and possibly as much as 58 million tons a year. And that’s the “good” news—because that estimate takes into account thousands of ambitious commitments by government and industry to reduce plastic pollution.

Without those pledges, a business-as-usual scenario would be almost twice as bad. With no improvements to managing waste beyond what’s already in place today, 99 million tons of uncontrolled plastic waste would end up in the environment by 2030.

These two scenarios, the result of new research by an international team of scientists, are a far cry from the first global tally published in 2015, which estimated that an average of 8.8 million tons flow into the oceans annually. That was a figure so startling to the world when it was published five years ago, it helped invigorate the plastic trash movement.

Jenna Jambeck, the University of Georgia engineering professor who calculated that number, also came up with a vivid analogy to put it in context. It would be the equivalent of one dump truck tipping a load of plastic into the ocean every minute every day for a year. Jambeck is also part of the team that came up with the new calculations. But coming up with a new way to visualize 22 to 58 million tons proved a challenge.

“I don’t know. We’re getting into the realm of what’s incomprehensible,” she says. “How about a football stadium filled with plastic every day? Or enough plastic to cover Rhode Island or the country of Luxembourg ankle deep?”

Neither of these new analogies, while accurate, capture the magnitude of what’s at stake. (More: We're drowning in plastic—find out why. )

Like climate change, a lot rides on how the global community responds in the next couple of decades. And, though the parallels between the problem of plastic waste and climate change are obvious—both are rooted in oil, the basic ingredient to make plastics, they are dissimilar in one key way: plastic’s persistence. While there is some possibility, however remote, that technology and restoration of natural ecosystems could remove CO 2 from the atmosphere, there is no such analog for plastic. Virtually indestructible, it doesn’t disappear.

“For me, the biggest issue is the question of permanence,” says George Leonard , the Ocean Conservancy’s chief scientist and a member of the team that produced this newest forecast. “If we don’t get the plastic pollution problem in the ocean under control, we threaten contaminating the entire marine food web, from phytoplankton to whales. And by the time the science catches up to this, perhaps definitively concluding that this is problematic, it will be too late. We will not be able to go back. That massive amount of plastic will be embedded in the ocean’s wildlife essentially forever.”

The power of two

Royal Dutch Shell will produce plastic pellets like these at its new plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The plant will create more than a million tons of the tiny pellets. Many in the Pittsburgh area see it as an economic engine, but others worry about the long-term environmental harm.

The analysis is the second in recent weeks to look ahead to the future of the plastic economy and conclude that correcting the waste problem—40 percent of plastic manufactured today is disposable packaging—requires a fundamental change in thinking about how plastics are made, used, and discarded.

The new findings were made by a team of scientists funded by the National Science Foundation through the University of Maryland’s National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center ( SESYNC ). The other project, which looks ahead to 2040, was led by the Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ, a London-based environmental advisory and investment firm, and was first made public in July. Both studies were published together in the journal Science in September.

What’s unusual is that two independent scientific working groups, using differing methodologies and timelines, reached the same broad conclusions. Both laid blame for the rising tonnage of plastic in the seas on the growth of plastic production that is outpacing the world’s ability to keep up with collecting plastic trash. They also agreed that reducing surging waste requires reducing surging production of virgin plastic.

“The magnitude of the problem is the same. The difference is in methodology,” says Stephanie Borrelle, a marine biologist in New Zealand and lead author of the SESYNC study. “We have to do something about this and do it soon. Our annual count of leakage doesn’t account for what’s already in the oceans.”

Both projects also concluded that plastic waste could be significantly reduced, though not eliminated, using existing technologies. That includes improving waste collection and recycling, redesigning products to eliminate packaging made from unrecyclable plastics, expanding refillables, and in some cases substituting other materials. But solutions such as recycling, now globally hovering around 12 percent, would also require a massive scaling-up with many additional recycling facilities that don’t exist.

The SESYNC project also calls for cleaning up plastic waste from shorelines, where possible. To give an idea of the scale involved in achieving that goal, it would require a billion people to participate in the Ocean Conservancy’s annual beach cleanup that now attracts about one million volunteers.

“The inconvenient truth now is that this business-as-usual growth in production of new plastics is not compatible with ending plastics in nature,” says Ben Dixon, a former sustainability manager at Royal Dutch Shell and partner at SYSTEMIQ. “That’s the inconvenient truth both studies get to the heart of. We may see more pressures from investors, customers, and a changing of the world underneath the feet of these companies.”

Both projects captured the attention of the plastics industry, which was quick to praise the research, but dismissed the idea of reducing production of virgin plastic as “highly counterproductive and impractical,” in the words of the American Chemistry Council, a trade group for the petrochemical industry. In emailed responses, ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical, two of the world’s leading manufacturers of polyethylene, agreed.

“Reducing production to solve the waste problem will, in turn, aggravate the carbon and climate problem as alternative materials have higher emissions,” Dow said.

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The manufacturing of plastic emits less CO2 and uses less water than for glass or aluminum. Some argue that such accounting doesn’t always factor in all the costs, such as environmental cleanup and weight. Glass manufacturing emits less CO2 per gram, but glass bottles are heavier. And, in the marine world, they say, it’s beside the point: Turtles eat plastic bags, not glass bottles and aluminum cans.

Todd Spitler, an Exxon spokesman, said the company’s focus will be on “increasing plastic recyclability, supporting improvements in plastic waste recovery and minimizing plastic pellet loss from our operations."

The SESYNC study calls for setting global limits on the production of virgin plastic, a recommendation unlikely to be realized. At the last United Nations Environmental Program meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2019, negotiations to pass a resolution calling for phasing out single-use plastic by 2025 and to draft a legally binding treaty on plastic debris ended in a stalemate.

The Pew/SYSTEMIQ study calls for reducing virgin production by 11 percent, arguing there is enough waste plastic that could be recycled and remade into new plastic to satisfy demand. The problem is that virgin plastic—new resin created from natural gas or oil—is so cheap to make that it undermines the economics of the recycling market. It is simply less expensive to manufacture new plastic than to collect, sort, and process disposable plastic into new feedstock. Especially now, with the collapse of oil prices. (Read more on the SYSTEMIQ study here.)

Plastic production to increase by 2050

In fact, production is forecast to more than double by 2050—increasing to 756 million tons anticipated in 2050 from 308 million tons produced in 2018, according to a report published by the American Chemistry Council in 2019. In the United States, $203 billion has been invested in 343 new or expanded chemical plants to produce plastics, according to ACC figures published last February. Production capacity for ethylene and propylene is projected to increase by 33 to 36 percent, according to an estimate by the Center for International Environmental Law.

Keith Christman , the ACC’s managing director of plastics markets, says the demand for plastic products, such as lightweight automobile parts and materials used in home construction, including insulation and water piping, is only going to grow.

“New technologies is the direction that we see the industry going,” he says.

Historically, plastic production has increased almost continuously since the 1950s, from 1.8 million tons in 1950 to 465 million tons in 2018. As of 2017, 7 billion of the 8.8 billion tons produced globally over that whole period have become waste.

The industry attributes future growth to two factors: the increasing global population and demands for more plastic consumer goods, fueled by the increasing buying power of a growing middle class. The UN projects that the world’s population, now about 7.8 billion, will add about two billion more by 2050, primarily in Asia and Africa. Globally, the middle class is anticipated to expand by 400 million households by 2039—and that is where the plastics market growth will occur.

Africa, to cite one example, shows the complications that lie ahead for gaining control of plastic waste in the coming decades. The continent today generates waste at a low rate by global standards, according to a UN report published last year. It also has limited environmental regulations, weak enforcement, and inadequate systems in place to manage waste. But as its population explodes and becomes more urban, and as buying habits change with higher standards of living, sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to become the dominant region producing municipal waste.

“Everyone is going to need to play a role along the whole value chain,” says Guy Bailey , a leading plastics analyst at Wood Mackenzie, a consulting firm specializing in energy, chemicals, mining and other research.

“If you are a recycler, it is difficult to make an investment when oil prices completely destroy the economics of your business. If you are a packing company, you are faced with so many choices of materials, it’s hard to know which to pick. If you are a chemical company, you clearly can see the reputational challenge. They risk losing their social license to operate if things go too far. They want to address those challenges.”

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, founded last year by 50 industry titans, committed to investing $1.5 billion in creating solutions to improve methods for collecting plastic waste and recycling into new products. So far, it has launched 14 projects, many in Southeast Asia and Africa, including in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Ghana.

Jacob Duer, president and CEO, said the new report “reiterates the necessity and the urgency in addressing the issue and underlines the importance of a paradigm shift.”

As the organization, based in Singapore, matures, he says the number of projects and capital investment will grow. But it opposes reducing virgin plastic production.

Both Duer and Martyn Ticknet, head of the Alliance’s project development, see similarities between tackling plastic waste and global efforts to close the hole in the ozone layer that began in the 1970s. Last year the hole had shrunk to its smallest size on record since its discovery.

“We’ve solved major crises before,” Ticknet says. “It takes some time to get going.”

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Ocean Plastic Pollution—and Solutions to This Problem—Can Come in Many Forms

Innovation, collaboration, and bold policies can stop the flow and help restore marine health.

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• Table of Contents

Plastic pollution in the ocean is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our generation, visible throughout the ocean and along almost every coast in the world. Plastic has been found in hundreds of marine species, from whales to sea birds, and in some of the most remote places on Earth, from the Galapagos Islands to the Mariana trench and to the Arctic and Antarctic. And the problem is only getting worse.

Projected growth in plastic production and a growing global population are set to significantly increase the already-large flow of plastic  into our oceans in the coming years. The Pew Charitable Trusts is working on solutions to this mounting problem and will release a new analysis in the coming months with the goal of helping inform government and industry actions to address this immense challenge.

In partnership with SYSTEMIQ , the University of Oxford, the University of Leeds, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation , and Common Seas , Pew will present evidence-based pathways to reduce the flow of plastics in the ocean. Achieving that will not be easy and will require major shifts by many, from producers to waste managers, along with significant new investments and policy changes from government. But, as our analysis will show, by working together societies can significantly reduce the amount of plastic flowing into the ocean.

A closer look at plastics

Plastic products come in a variety of forms that make some easier to eliminate, substitute, or recycle than others. Solving the plastic pollution problem requires knowing what kinds of plastic are being produced and why. Below we look at several different categories of plastic, and how likely they are to be recycled.

Rigid monomaterial plastics

Rigid monomaterial items are made from a single plastic polymer that holds its shape. The most popular products include:

• Soda, water, or milk bottles and cleaning product bottles.
• Food service disposables such as takeaway boxes, cups and lids, cutlery, and stirrers.
• Pots, tubs, and trays such as those used for yogurt, sandwiches, and meat in markets.
• Packaging materials such as plastic pallets, crates, and bulk containers.
• Household goods such as combs, buckets, and flip flops.

The good news is that the volume of rigid monomaterial items, many of which end up in the ocean, can be significantly reduced through elimination, reuse, new delivery models, or substitution with alternative materials, such as paper. Rigid monomaterial plastics also tend to be easier to recycle and, therefore, are the most commonly recycled plastic type today.

Flexible monomaterial plastics

These products are also made from a single polymer, but they don’t hold their shape. Some examples of flexible monomaterial plastic products are:

• Plastic bags.
• Packaging such as the clear bags around food items and six-pack rings.
• Films, such as those used to wrap food, electronics, toys, and shipping pallets.

Flexible monomaterial plastic is often hard to recycle, partly because its low weight makes cost-effective collection and recycling difficult and partly because the plastic is often contaminated. However, reduction—through bans, incentives, packaging redesign, and reuse models—and substitution with alternative materials, such as paper, can help reduce flexible monomaterial plastic waste.

Multilayer/multimaterial plastics

These items, primarily used for packaging, are typically made of a mix of plastic and nonplastic materials such as laminated paper and aluminum or different types of polymers. Examples include:

• Sachets, individual packets typically used for condiments, shampoo, pet food, instant coffee, and other household items, as well as chips, cookies, and candy.
• Toothpaste and cosmetics tubes.
• Laminated drink cartons.
• Pens, cigarette filters, and toys.
• Hygiene products such as diapers.

Some of these products could be eliminated and replaced by new delivery models or alternative packaging materials, while others could be redesigned using monomaterial plastics so that they can be more readily recycled.

The plastic economy is complex, diverse, and wasteful, contributing mightily to ocean pollution. Simplifying and changing this economy—from production and supply chains to point-of-sale options and recycling—could significantly boost efficiency in use of resources and generate far less waste.

Accomplishing that begins with eliminating as many single-use plastic products as possible, including by replacing them with renewable and biodegradable materials where feasible, and by prolonging the useful life of some items through reuse and new delivery models. Next steps should include a concerted effort to redesign products to maximize usable life and recyclability, shift to sustainable alternative materials, and eliminate the use of hard-to-recycle and toxic plastics.

The volume of plastic both in and flowing into the ocean might seem overwhelming, but it’s a problem that can be solved.

Winnie Lau is a senior officer and Sarah Baulch is a senior associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ preventing ocean plastics project.

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Solutions to Plastic Pollution: A Conceptual Framework to Tackle a Wicked Problem

• Open Access
• First Online: 10 October 2021

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Part of the book series: Environmental Contamination Remediation and Management ((ENCRMA))

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There is a broad willingness to act on global plastic pollution as well as a plethora of available technological, governance, and societal solutions. However, this solution space has not been organized in a larger conceptual framework yet. In this essay, I propose such a framework, place the available solutions in it, and use it to explore the value-laden issues that motivate the diverse problem formulations and the preferences for certain solutions by certain actors. To set the scene, I argue that plastic pollution shares the key features of wicked problems, namely, scientific, political, and societal complexity and uncertainty as well as a diversity in the views of actors. To explore the latter, plastic pollution can be framed as a waste, resource, economic, societal, or systemic problem. Doing so results in different and sometimes conflicting sets of preferred solutions, including improving waste management; recycling and reuse; implementing levies, taxes, and bans as well as ethical consumerism; raising awareness; and a transition to a circular economy. Deciding which of these solutions is desirable is, again, not a purely rational choice. Accordingly, the social deliberations on these solution sets can be organized across four scales of change. At the geographic and time scales, we need to clarify where and when we want to solve the plastic problem. On the scale of responsibility, we need to clarify who is accountable, has the means to make change, and carries the costs. At the magnitude scale, we need to discuss which level of change we desire on a spectrum of status quo to revolution. All these issues are inherently linked to value judgments and worldviews that must, therefore, be part of an open and inclusive debate to facilitate solving the wicked problem of plastic pollution.

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Plastic Pollution and the Need for Responsible Plastic Consumption and Waste Management

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• Environmental issues
• Microplastics
• Wicked problems

11.1 Premises and Aims

The scale of plastic pollution and its impacts on nature and societies has been extensively described and discussed in the public and the scientific literature (including this book). While there is much debate on the scale of the problem, the aim of this essay is to explore the solution space for plastic pollution. Therefore, this essay is based on the premise that the case is closed, in such that there is a board consensus that we want to solve it. The relevant question then becomes how to achieve best this. There is abundant literature summarizing potential solutions for plastic pollution (Auta et al. 2017 ; Eriksen et al. 2018 ; Löhr et al. 2017 ; Prata et al. 2019 ; Sheavly and Register 2007 ; Tessnow-von Wysocki and Le Billon 2019 ; Vince and Hardesty 2018 ). However, many authors focus on specific technological, governance, or economic aspects and some organize solutions in rather arbitrary ways. Such pragmatic collections are certainly useful to get an overview of available options. Nonetheless, they may fall short in addressing the complexity of plastic pollution (e.g., when they present few, specific solutions), the diversity in the perspectives of the multiple actors involved (e.g., when they focus on technological solutions only), and the fundamental aspects driving the preferences for certain solutions. Therefore, the aim of this essay is not to present another collection of technical and policy instruments. Instead, I will first explore the wickedness of the problem because it is important to acknowledge that there is no simple solution to problems that are difficult to define and describe. Secondly, I propose a conceptual framework regarding how specific problem formulations result in diverse and sometimes conflicting sets of solutions. Clarifying distinct problem frames is an important step toward understanding the actors’ diverse preferences for solution sets. Thirdly, I lay out a framework for organizing the value judgments inherent in the plastics discourse. Since these are mostly neglected in the public and scientific debate, the aim of this piece is to bring to the surface the value-laden issues underlying the framing of the problem and the preferences for certain solutions.

11.2 Plastic Pollution as Wicked Problem

To contextualize the solutions to plastic pollution, we first need to explore its wickedness. The concept of wicked problems has been used to characterize those problems which defy conventional solutions, including climate change, displacement of people, terrorism, digital warfare, and biodiversity loss (Termeer et al. 2019 ). Originally introduced to describe “problems which are ill-formulated, where the information is confusing, where there are many clients and decision makers with conflicting values, and where the ramifications in the whole system are thoroughly confusing” (Churchman 1967 ), Rittel and Webber ( 1973 ) provided ten characteristics that define a wicked problem, some of which are shared by plastic pollution (see Table 11.1 ). Since then, the simple dichotomy of tame vs. wicked problems has evolved into a view that rather considers degrees of wickedness (Termeer et al. 2019 ). The question, therefore, is how much wickedness we assign to plastic pollution. The key features of complexity, diversity, and uncertainty (Head and Alford 2013 ) can be used to do so.

Without question, the issue of plastic pollution is complex, both from a scientific and a societal perspective (SAPEA 2019 ). The scientific complexity arises from a number of aspects. Firstly, plastic pollution comprises a diverse suite of pollutants with very heterogeneous physicochemical properties (Lambert et al. 2017 ; Rochman et al. 2019 ). Secondly, plastics have a multitude of sources, flows, and impacts in nature and societies. Thirdly, plastic pollution is ubiquitous, yet its scale varies in time and space. The combination of these aspects results in complex exposure patterns causing a complex suite of effects on biodiversity and human health, covering all levels of biological organization, as well as on the functioning of ecosystems and societies. To further complicate the matter, these effects will probably not be linear, immediate, obvious, and overt but will be heavily interconnected and aggregate over time scales that are difficult to investigate. Thus, the complexity of plastic pollution – and its underlying causes – cannot be understood with “standard science” based on disciplinary approaches and the assumption of simple cause-effect relationships.

The societal complexity of plastic pollution arises from the fact that plastics are – besides concrete, steel, and fertilizers – one of the main building blocks of modern societies (Kuijpers 2020 ). They are so closely integrated with many aspects of our lives that modern societies cannot function without plastics. Accordingly, the immense societal benefits of plastics arising from their versatility, light weight, durability, and low costs are very difficult to decouple from their negative impacts caused by just the same properties. The resulting ambiguous relationship of humanity with plastics (Freinkel 2011 ) in combination with the complex flows of plastics through societies constitutes the societal complexity of plastic pollution.

The public, political, and scientific discourses on plastic pollution are characterized by a high degree of diversity in such that actors take divergent, and sometimes conflicting, views and approaches to the problem and its solutions. Much of that diversity emerges from the fact that the discourse on plastic pollution, just like on many other environmental problems, is a value-laden issue. In such situations, actors will frame the problem and interpret the available evidence differently based on their specific believe systems, values, and agendas.

Finally, plastic pollution is characterized by a high degree of scientific, political, and societal uncertainty. This is not only true for the glaring gaps in our scientific knowledge (SAPEA 2019 ) but even more so for the nonlinearity and unpredictability of the impacts that plastic pollution (and potential solutions) may have on ecosystems, humans, and societies. As an example of scientific uncertainty, there might be tipping point at which the ecological consequences of increasing pollution might become chaotic and unpredictable. Another, very concrete example of political uncertainty is the need to balance unforeseen benefits of plastics (e.g., massive demand for personal protective gear in case of a pandemic) with the negative impacts of pollution. While continuing research efforts will eventually reduce the scientific uncertainties, “better” evidence will not necessarily reduce the political and societal uncertainty surrounding plastic pollution. This is because the diversity in actors’ views and agendas routed in their individual values is unlikely to change when new scientific evidence arrives.

Taken together, plastic pollution comprises a relatively high degree of wickedness because it features scientific and societal complexity, actors with diverse and divergent problem/solution frames and goals, and a high degree of scientific and political uncertainty. Leaving aside the aspects of complexity and uncertainty here, it is worth investigating how divergent problem formulations result in a diversity in solutions and how value judgments inherent in the discourse on solution to plastic pollution can be conceptualized.

11.3 Problem Formulations: Consensus or Dispute?

On the surface, the problem formulation for plastic pollution seems quite straightforward. The accumulation of plastics in nature is a bad thing. Despite many scientific uncertainties, such a statement receives broad support from the scientific community, the public, policymakers, and societal actors (e.g., interest groups) alike. Despite the absence of an overt and coordinated denialism, such as the one for climate change, a closer examination reveals that three aspects of plastic pollution are contested, namely, the risk paradigm, the scale, and the root causes of the problem.

There are two opposing views on what constitutes the risk of plastic pollution. The commonsense perspective is that the sheer presence of plastics in nature represents a risk. Such view is propelled by the attention economy (Backhaus and Wagner 2020 ) and the scientific uncertainties, in such that scientific ignorance (“we do not know the ecological consequences”) becomes a risk itself (Völker et al. 2020 ). Even though empirical data are absent, this conception of risk is probably very common in the public and is promoted by environmental interest groups. An opposing perspective poses that there are thresholds below which plastic pollution will not be a risk. That more expert view comes from toxicological and regulatory practices which are based on Paracelsus’ paradigm of “the dose makes the poison” and risk assessment frameworks to compare the exposure and hazards of synthetic chemicals. The main divergence between the two perspectives is that one claims that there is no “safe” threshold of plastics in nature whereas the other does. This is, in essence, a value-laden question because deciding whether we deem emitting plastics to nature acceptable is a moral, ethical, political, and societal issue rather than a purely scientific one. It may sound provocative, but on a systems level the actors benefiting from environmental action (e.g., environmental interest groups) pursue a “zero pollution” aim whereas the actors benefiting from continued emissions (e.g., plastic industry) push for a “threshold” view.

The scale of the problem of plastic pollution is also a matter of conflicting views, at least among academics and interest groups. This is best exemplified using microplastics as case. Some scientists consider the problem “superficial” (Burton Jr. 2017 ) and even “distractive” (Stafford and Jones 2019 ), whereas others consider it “significant” (Rochman et al. 2015 ) and “urgent” (Xanthos and Walker 2017 ). Without getting into the details of the different arguments, the main driver of the superficiality perspective is the assumption that environmental problems compete for limited attention and resources (Backhaus and Wagner 2020 ). Thus, we need to prioritize problems that are deemed more important (e.g., climate change). The opposing view poses that the microplastics problem is part of the larger issue of global change that cannot be viewed in isolation (Kramm et al. 2018 ) and argues that “we simply do not have the luxury of tackling environmental issues one at a time” (Avery-Gomm et al. 2019 ). Again, a value-laden question is at the heart of this dispute, namely, whether solving environmental issues is a zero-sum game that requires focusing on the few, most pressing problems or rather represents a win-win situation in which tackling multiple problems at once will yield co-benefits and synergies.

The last area of dispute is the question about the actual causes of plastic pollution. This is essentially a matter of problem framing that will have wide implications for finding solutions. For instance, framing plastic pollution predominantly as a marine litter problem will promote a completely different set of solutions (e.g., ocean cleanup activities) compared to a framing as consumerism problem that would require larger social changes. As with the two areas discussed above, individual values and belief systems will determine how one frames the causes of plastic pollution and which solutions one prefers, accordingly.

11.4 What Are We Trying to Solve?

Investigating the different conceptions of the causes of plastic pollution offers a meaningful way to organize the sets of solutions we have at hand. Importantly, that is not to say that one of the views is true or false but rather to understand why different actors prefer and promote divergent sets of solutions. To start with a commonality, the concerns about the impacts of plastic pollution on nature, human health, and societies are the drivers of all problem-solution frames. However, five different lenses can be used to focus on the problem formulation rendering plastic pollution a waste , resource, economic, societal, and systemic problem (Fig. 11.1 ).

Common drivers result in a diverse framing of the problem of plastic pollution and its causes. This determines the set of preferred solutions

Importantly, the lack of awareness about these frames can obscure the debate on plastic pollution. For instance, plastics are often used as a proxy to debate other societal issues, such as consumerism. Thus, seemingly scientific controversies become an arena to negotiate political and philosophical issues (Hicks 2017 ). This is problematic for two reasons. Firstly, scientific debates make a poor proxy for talking about value-laden problems because they are often technical and narrow and, therefore, exclude “nonexpert” opinions and economic and cultural aspects. Secondly, as Hicks puts it “talking exclusively about the science leads us to ignore – and hence fail to address – the deeper disagreement” (Hicks 2017 ). To make the debate on plastic pollution productive, all involved actors should transparently delineate how they frame the problem, be open to discuss the deeper disagreements that may be beyond the traditional scope of hard sciences, and be receptive to other arguments and viewpoints (e.g., the cultural value of an unpolluted nature).

11.5 Solving the Waste Problem

The most common approach to plastic pollution is to frame it as a waste problem. From that perspective, the main cause is our inability to effectively manage the plastic waste and prevent its emissions to nature. According to this view, plastic pollution basically becomes an engineering problem that can be fixed with a set of technological solutions.

While not preventive per se, cleanup activities on beaches, rivers, in the open ocean, etc. can be considered part of the set of solutions to the waste problem. Targeted at removing plastic debris from nature, these can range from low-tech solutions involving citizens simply cleaning up polluted places (e.g., organized by Ocean Conservancy, the Nordic Coastal Cleanup, or Fishing for Litter), to medium-tech solutions that collect debris before it enters the oceans (e.g., Mr. Trash Wheel, the Great Bubble Barrier), to high-tech solutions such as the large booms deployed by the Ocean Cleanup or remotely operated underwater vehicles (see Schmaltz et al. 2020 for a comprehensive inventory). Cleanup solutions can be criticized as ineffective and inefficient basically because they represent measures that are the furthest downstream of the sources of plastic pollution. Some technological approaches, such as the Ocean Cleanup booms, might even have negative consequences on marine biota (Clarke 2015 ). However, these activities may also have benefits that go beyond removing plastics from nature. Engaging volunteers in cleanup activities can increase their awareness of pollution and promote pro-environmental intentions (Wyles et al. 2017 , 2019 ) that may result in a more sustainable change in behaviors.

Improving waste management is at the center of the set of solutions associated with the framing as waste problem. The goal of these activities is to minimize the amount of mismanaged plastic waste “escaping” to nature. The waste management sector in the Global North faces serious challenges, such as infrastructural fragmentation, lack of capacity, and the inability to deal with increasingly complex plastics materials and waste streams (Crippa et al. 2019 ). Taking the European Union as an example, there is a need to better implement and enforce existing waste legislation, harmonize waste collection, and promote innovation regarding new business models and waste sorting technologies (Crippa et al. 2019 ). However, most of the worlds’ mismanaged plastic waste is emitted in the Global South (Jambeck et al. 2015 ) with its predominantly informal waste sector where autonomous and organized waste pickers are highly skilled participants in local circular economies. Reconciling their livelihoods with aspirations for industrial automation remains a challenge, and external intervention attempts will likely be unsuccessful without sufficient local capacity building (Velis 2017 ). The Global North can support such development by sourcing recycled plastics from the informal recycling sector, thereby gradually formalizing this sector (Crippa et al. 2019 ) and creating socioeconomic benefits for waste pickers (Gall et al. 2020 ).

Another dimension to look at plastic pollution is the global trade of plastic waste . More than half of the plastic waste intended for recycling has been exported to countries other than the ones producing the waste (Brooks et al. 2018 ). In the case of the European Union, most exports have been directed toward the Global South (Rosa 2018 ) with notable shifts since China restricted waste imports in 2017 (European Environment Agency 2019 ). The concerns over this practice arise from the fact that recipient countries often have low labor and environmental standards resulting in occupational risks and improper waste disposal or recycling (World Economic Forum 2020 ). In response, the 187 member countries amended the Basel Convention, an international treaty on the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, to better control the global flows of contaminated, mixed, or unrecyclable plastics (Secretariat of the Basel Convention 2019 ). While this is promising, the Basel Convention is limited regarding its ability to enforce compliance and monitor progress (Raubenheimer and McIlgorm 2018 ).

A third approach to tackle the waste problem is to increase the production and use of compostable or biodegradable plastics. The expectation is that such materials will disintegrate on short time scales either in industrial and household settings or in the environment (Crippa et al. 2019 ; Lambert and Wagner 2017 ). Compostable and biodegradable plastics would, thus, contribute to decreasing the amount of persistent plastic waste and create biomass to amend soils. While a range of biodegradable plastics from fossil as well as renewable feedstocks is available, their market share remains low, making up less than 0.5% of the global plastic production (Crippa et al. 2019 ). This is mainly due to their high costs (compared to a limited added value) and technical challenges in scaling up production capacities. Additional challenges arise from misperceptions and misrepresentation regarding what biodegradable plastics can achieve (Crippa et al. 2019 , see also the example of oxo-degradable plastics), from a low degradability of available materials in nature, and from the lack of transferability of degradation data from laboratory to field settings (Haider et al. 2019 ).

Importantly, when choosing to frame plastic pollution as a waste problem, the principles of the waste hierarchy apply that clearly prioritizes the prevention and reuse of waste over its recycling, recovery, or disposal (European Parliament & Council of the European Union 2008 ). However, contemporary solutions to the plastic waste problem mainly focus on less preferred options, especially on recovery and recycling. As an example, the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy (European Commission 2018 ) contains the terms “prevention” and “reuse” only 8 times, each, while it mentions “recycling” 76 times. A reason for that preference might be that the technological approaches to recycling, recovery, and disposal exist within the waste sector, whereas approaches to reduce and reuse plastics would require the inclusion of very different actors, such as social scientists and designers.

11.6 Solving the Resource Problem

Framing plastic pollution as a resource problem is based on the idea that we are losing valuable materials when using plastics in short-lived products, such as packaging and single-use items. Such framing is closely connected to the waste problem as waste management is transforming into resources management. In a broader context, however, this idea can be reformulated as a problem of extractive fossil industries in such that the cause of plastic pollution is indeed the abundance of fossil feedstocks. Both aspects of the resource framing result in divergent sets of solutions.

Approaches to solve the resource problem from a waste perspective basically cover the upper parts of the waste hierarchy, namely, recycling and reuse. The rationale is, of course, to retain the material and functional value of plastics in use and extend the lifetime of materials or products. This would, in turn, reduce waste generation and the need to produce new plastics. The different options fall on a spectrum on which reuse and mechanical recycling preserve best the value of plastics because they avoid the extra costs for breaking up the materials (Fig. 11.2 ). In contrast, chemical recycling uses chemical or thermal processes (e.g., depolymerization, pyrolysis, gasification) to create purified polymers, oligomers, or monomers which then can be reprocessed into new plastics. This has several advantages over mechanical recycling, such as the higher flexibility and the ability to deal with mixed and contaminated plastics. Nonetheless, chemical recycling currently requires significant improvement regarding their technical and economic feasibility as well as a thorough investigation of its environmental and social impacts (Crippa et al. 2019 ).

Different loops for the reuse and recycling of plastics. (Source: Crippa et al. 2019 )

In contrast to set of solutions provided by the recycling plastics, retaining plastic products in use via sharing, repairing, and reusing comes closer to a circular economy ideal. While circular business models for plastics suffer from the lack of economic incentives (see economic problem), the four current types of business models include product as a service (“pay-per-use”), circular supplies (waste of one company becomes the raw material for another), product life extensions (making products durable, repairable, upgradable), and sharing platforms (Accenture 2014 ). Such approaches face challenges not only because plastics move so fast through the value chain and are handled by multiple actors but also because they challenge the linear economy paradigm. Here, eco-design guidelines and circularity metrics can help create a more level playing field (Crippa et al. 2019 ).

A very different solution, namely, the shift to bio-based plastics, emerges when framing plastic pollution as a problem of fossil feedstocks. Here, the idea is to reduce the use of petroleum and natural gas to manufacture plastics and foster the transition to a bio-based economy. Bio-based plastics can be produced from natural polymers (e.g., starch, cellulose), by plants or microbes (e.g., PBS, PHA), and by synthesizing them from biological feedstocks (e.g., ethylene derived from fermented sugarcane) (Lambert and Wagner 2017 ). As with biodegradable plastics, the market share of bio-based material is rather low for economic reasons, but production capacities and demand are projected to increase in the future (Crippa et al. 2019 ). The main challenges of shifting to bio-based plastics are their potential environmental and social impacts associated with land and pesticide use. These can be addressed by using feedstocks derived from agricultural, forestry, and food waste as well as from algae (Lambert and Wagner 2017 ). Eventually, substituting fossil with renewable carbon sources is a laudable aim that can create many co-benefits. However, it is important to realize that this will not solve the problem of plastic pollution.

11.7 Solving the Economic Problem

A very different perspective on the discourses on plastic pollution is the framing as an economic problem. As discussed above, many solutions are not competitive in the marketplace due to their high costs. Accordingly, the low price of virgin plastics which is a result of the low oil and natural gas prices can be considered the major cause of plastic pollution. Taking such view implies that one major benefit of plastics – their low price – is driving consumption which, in turn, results in their emission to nature. It also dictates that solutions should address the economy of plastics.

The goal of economic solutions to plastic pollution is to reduce plastic consumption either directly via financial (dis)incentives or indirectly via creating a level playing field for other solutions, including alternative materials (e.g., bio-based plastics), recycling, and circular business models. The simplest and most widely adopted economic instrument is to place levies on single-use products, especially on plastic bags. For most cases, increasing the price of carrier bag reduced the consumption but the global effect of such policies remains uncertain (Nielsen et al. 2019 ). In addition, there may be unintended consequences and the ecological impacts of replacements in particular often remain neglected.

Plastic taxes follow the same logic as levies and fees but target a wider range of products. While there is no literature on the implementation of plastic taxes across countries, the European Union, for instance, plans to implement a plastic tax on non-recycled plastic packaging waste (European Council 2020 ). Similar initiatives exist in the US State of California (Simon 2020 ). In principle, such taxes can be raised at the counter to change consumer behavior and/or directed toward plastic producers (see Powell 2018 for in-depth discussion). The latter aims at internalizing the external costs of plastics in such that their negative environmental impacts are reflected in their pricing, in line with the idea of extended producer responsibility. Although the actual external costs of plastics are far from clear and depend on the specific context, ecosystems services approaches, valorizing the supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural services nature provides, can be used to estimate those. According to a recent assessment, plastic pollution results in an annual loss of $500–2500 billion in marine natural capital, or $3300–33,000 per ton plastic in the ocean (Beaumont et al. 2019 ).

The benefit of taxing plastic producers would be twofold. If targeting the sale or purchase of non-recycled plastic monomers or resins, a tax would incentivize recycling. If the tax revenue would be collected in a dedicated fund, this could be used to subsidize other solutions, such as innovation in materials, products and business models, or awareness campaigns. General plastic taxes could be modeled after carbon taxation following the polluter pays principle. However, the latter requires a value judgment regarding who the polluter indeed is, and different actors would certainly disagree where to place responsibility along the life cycle of plastics. An additional challenge can be that the taxes are absorbed by the supply chain and, thus, not achieve the desired aim (Powell 2018 ).

Apart from levies and taxes on specific products, broader plastic taxation has not been implemented so far. However, the price of virgin plastics is expected to decrease further due to the oil industry shifting their production away from fuels and massively increase their capacity to produce new plastics (Pooler 2020 ). Such technology lock-in will further decrease the pricing of virgin plastics, propel plastic consumption, and render solving the plastics problem uneconomic. At the same time, the surge in production may increase the public pressure and political willingness to implement taxation that mitigates the negative impacts on recycling (Lim 2019 ) and of increasing waste exports (Tabuchi et al. 2020 ) and aggregated greenhouse gas emissions (Gardiner 2019 ).

11.8 Solving the Societal Problem

In contrast to the techno-economic problem-solution frames discussed above, a very different perspective attributes plastic pollution to a deeper-rooted cause, namely, consumerism and capitalism. Accordingly, plastic pollution is a result of humanity’s overconsumption of plastics that is, in turn, driven by our capitalist system. In this way, it becomes a societal problem. It remains unclear how pervasive such views are, but the idea that we are consuming too much is one center piece of environmentalism, arguably one of the few remaining major ideologies. The problem with this framing is that often it remains implicit in the discourse on plastic pollution. Thus, plastic becomes a proxy to debate larger, value-laden topics, such as industrialization, economic materialism and growth, globalization, and, eventually, capitalism. The set of solutions promoted by framing plastic pollution as a societal problem are manifold. Interestingly, there is a dichotomy regarding who is responsible: When viewed as a consumption problem, solutions should motivate individuals to change their behaviors. When framed as a capitalist issue, more collective and systemic change is desired.

Plastic consumption behavior is affected by a range of factors, among others, sociodemographic variables, convenience, habits, social factors, and environmental attitudes (Heidbreder et al. 2019 ). The ban of plastic products, especially of single-use items, such as carrier bags, straws, cutlery, and tableware, targets the convenience and habits of consumers simply by limiting their choice. Plastic bag bans are now implemented in more than 30 countries, and bans on other single-use products are in effect in 12 countries (Schnurr et al. 2018 ). While generally considered effective and publicly acceptable, plastic bag bans have been criticized to disproportionally affect low-income and homeless persons. The major criticism concerns the environmental impacts of replacements made of natural materials (paper, cotton, linen) due to their higher resource demand and greenhouse gas emissions (Schnurr et al. 2018 ).

Social factors, including norms and identities, are the drivers for plastic avoidance, another way to reduce plastic consumption. On the one hand, social pressure and guilt can motivate individuals to not use plastics (Heidbreder et al. 2019 ). On the other hand, a person can practice plastic avoidance, a plastic-free lifestyle being its most intense form, to affirm their identity as environmentally conscious (Cherrier 2006 ). Notably, it is exactly those social norms and identities that environmental interest groups and similarly motivated actors tap into. On the business side, the marketing of “ethical” plastic products (e.g., made from ocean plastics) applies similar mechanisms, sometimes criticized as greenwashing. Interestingly, all those solutions are based on the idea of ethical consumerism, emphasizing individual responsibility, all the while staying firmly within the realm of capitalism.

As a more collective solution, activities that raise awareness regarding plastic pollution and consumption (e.g., communication campaigns) target at changing environmental attitudes and encourage pro-environmental behaviors on a wider scale. Behavior change interventions range from policies (bans, levies, see above), information campaigns, educational programs, point-of-sale interventions (e.g., asking if customers want plastic bags rather than handing them out), and the participation in cleanup activities (Heidbreder et al. 2019 ; Pahl et al. 2020 ). Importantly, Pahl et al. ( 2020 ) note that it “is advisable [to] build on personal and social norms and values, as this could lead to spillover into other pro-environmental domains and behaviours.” This goes in line with the idea that awareness of plastic pollution is a gateway to wider pro-environmental attitudes (Ives 2017 ).

11.9 Solving the Systemic Problem

In contrast to framing plastic pollution as a waste , resource, economic, or societal problem, it can be viewed as a composite of some or all of these facets; it becomes a systemic problem. The latter view acknowledges that plastic pollution is multicausal and that the individual causes are strongly interconnected. In other words, such systems perspective takes the wickedness of plastic pollution into account. Intuitively, this seems like the most holistic approach to the problem since it is quite apparent that plastic pollution is the result of multiple failures at multiple levels of the “plastic ecosystem .”

However, the main challenge with framing this as a systemic problem is that the problem formulation becomes much less tangible compared to other perspectives. For instance, the framings as waste, resource, or economic problem are much clearer with regard to their intervention points. They also provide sets of solutions that require an engineering approach in such that technologies, processes, and functions need to be redesigned and optimized. Thus, solutions appear relatively straightforward and easy to implement. Such promises of easy wins might be one reason why the idea to engineer our way out of plastic pollution is so popular. In contrast, solutions to the systemic problem are diverse, interconnected, and at times conflicting. This makes them appear as much harder to implement. At the same time, this renders the systems view somewhat immune to criticism as individual solutions (and their limitations) will always be just a small piece of the larger approach.

Arguably, the concept of a circular economy has recently gained most momentum to tackle plastic pollution systemically. Promoted by powerful actors, including the World Economic Forum, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, McKinsey & Company, and the European Union, the vision of a circular economy is to “increase prosperity, while reducing demands on finite raw materials and minimizing negative externalities” (World Economic Forum et al. 2016 ). While there are multiple definitions of the meaning of circular economy (Kirchherr et al. 2017 ), it is basically a reincarnation of the “3Rs principle” of reduce, reuse, recycle and of the idea of sustainable design. Accordingly, a circular economy “requires innovations in the way industries produce, consumers use and policy makers legislate” (Prieto-Sandova et al. 2018 ). Applied to plastic pollution, the circular economy concept identifies the linear economic model as root cause of the problem.

Accordingly, it promotes designing closed loop systems that prevent plastic from becoming waste as the key solution. Whereas this seems to reiterate the solution set to the waste problem, the circular economy concept integrates the solutions supported by all other problem frames. A report by the Pew Trust and SYSTEMIQ predicts that the future plastic emissions to the ocean can only be significantly reduced with systemic change (Lau et al. 2020 ; The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ 2020 ). Highlighting that there is no single solution to plastic pollution, such scenario requires the concurrent and global implementation of measures to reduce production and consumption and increase the substitution with compostable materials, recycling rates, and waste collection (The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ 2020 ). As such, the circular approach is, thus, a composite of the waste , resource, and societal framing combined with the prospect of economic co-benefits through innovation. The latter is indeed why repacking the other solution sets in a circular economy context has become so successful that it, as an example, has been rapidly adopted by the European Union (European Commission 2018 ). In addition to the economic angle, the focus on technological and societal innovation provides a powerful narrative of a better future that makes the circular economy ideology even more appealing. However, two important aspects need to be considered: Firstly, it is unclear whether a circular economy is able to deliver the promised environmental benefits (Manninen et al. 2018 ). Secondly, we need to realize that the ideology is not as radical as it claims, given that it further promotes the current model of business-led economic growth (Clube and Tennant 2020 ; Hobson and Lynch 2016 ). Thus, more radical and utopian solutions to plastic pollution remain out of sight.

11.10 The Four Scales of Solutions

Discussing and evaluating the solutions derived from the different problem frames outlined above requires value-based judgments regarding their relative importance, desirability, costs, and social consequences. These values should be made transparent and open in the discourse on plastic pollution to mitigate the proxy politics problem. This is important because making the debate about larger value-laden issues that remain implied can result in polarization and entrenchment and, in turn, would make solving the problem much harder.

While there is a multitude of dimensions to consider when evaluating solutions to plastic pollution, there are four basic scales of change that require value judgment and social deliberation. These cover the geography, time, responsibility, and magnitude of/for change desired by different actors (Fig. 11.3 ).

Conceptual framework to facilitate deliberation on the scales of changes needed to solve plastic pollution

The scales of geography and time do not appear very contentious. However, the preference for local, national, regional, or global solutions to plastic pollution very much depends on which geographic unit actors most trust for developing and implementing effective measures. Some actors might be localists valuing small- over the large-scale approaches a globalist might prefer. Whereas there seems to be consensus that plastic problem is a global problem (implying a preference for global action), very focused solutions (e.g., at emission hotspots) might be very effective in a local context and much faster to implement.

The time scales desired for implementing measures and achieving their ends depends on perception of the immediacy of the problem. While a general notion of urgency to solve plastic pollution is prevailing and requires instant action, a very different standpoint may be that there is sufficient time to better understand the problem because the negative impacts are not immanent. Such view would be supported by calls for more and better research. While part of that question can be addressed scientifically, for instance, by prospective risk assessment or modeling approaches, decisions on the urgency of action remain value laden and context dependent.

At the scale of responsibility, we need to address the question who has the agency and means to implement solutions and who has to carry the burden of costs and consequences. This is as well a matter of individual vs. collective action as of which actors across the plastic life cycle have most responsibility. Some actors, especially the plastics industry, emphasize the individual consumer’s responsibility. However, the systems view places much more focus on collective action. Others, especially environmental interest groups, want to hold the plastic industry accountable. However, one could also prefer to assign the burden of action to the retail or waste sectors, making it a matter of up- or downstream solutions. While it is very obvious that all actors in the plastic system share responsibility, the question of where to allocate how much accountability is open to debate.

The magnitude of desired changes is probably the most difficult aspect to agree upon because it touches not only on powerful economic interests but also on the fundamental question of whether one prefers to keep the status quo or wants to revolutionize individual lifestyles, economic sectors, or whole societies. It also covers preferences for very focused, pragmatic actions (e.g., easy wins that are sometimes tokenistic) or for systemic change. Such preferences are not only linked to perceptions of the urgency of the problem but depend on more fundamental worldviews. As with all other scales of changes, preferences will be driven by cultural context, social identity, and political orientations on the spectrum of conservative and progressive as well as libertarian and authoritarian.

11.11 How to Solve the Wicked Problem of Plastic Pollution?

Per definition, it is difficult or even impossible to solve wicked problems with conventional instruments and approaches. As argued above, plastic pollution is characterized by a relatively high degree of wickedness. At the same time, contemporary, mainstream solutions come from the standard toolbox, and it is rather the combination of all those instruments that is considered “transformative.” Implementing such combinatorial approach is appealing but can be complicated by the different underlying problem formulations and sometimes conflicting value judgments regarding the relative effectiveness of individual tools.

Thus, we need to organize an inclusive, open, and probably uncomfortable conversation about the scales of change we desire and the individual values that motivate those preferences. Such debate should not be reserved for the usual actors (i.e., experts, activists, and lobbyists) but must include (marginalized) groups that are most affected by plastic pollution and carry the burden of solutions (e.g., waste pickers). The debate must be open in the sense that, for instance, instead of fighting over bans of plastic straws, we should be clear on which issues these are proxies for (e.g., consumerism). Importantly, this is not to say that we need to create an all-encompassing consensus. Instead, the current plurality in problem-solution formulations is beneficial as it acknowledges that plastic pollution is multicausal, prevents a polarization and entrenchment, and enables tackling the problem from a systems perspective.

While we will have to face a multitude of technological, governance, and societal challenges on our road to solve plastic pollution, there are some conditions that will facilitate that journey. This includes robust evidence from the natural and social sciences regarding the effectiveness of different solutions, a broad willingness to solve the problem, and an acceptance of shared responsibility.

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Acknowledgments

M.W. acknowledges the support by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (02WRS1378I, 01UU1603), the Norwegian Research Council (301157), and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme (860720).

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Wagner, M. (2022). Solutions to Plastic Pollution: A Conceptual Framework to Tackle a Wicked Problem. In: Bank, M.S. (eds) Microplastic in the Environment: Pattern and Process. Environmental Contamination Remediation and Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78627-4_11

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10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution

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While soaking up the relaxing cadence of crashing waves on the beach, no one wants to think about how the ocean has basically become garbage soup . But here’s the buzz-killing reality: There are millions of tons of debris floating around in that water—and most of it is plastic.

This constant barrage (the equivalent of 136 billion milk jugs each year, a study published in the journal Science estimates) poses a serious danger to marine life. Animals can get tangled up in this trash or ingest it—either because they mistake it for food or because the plastic has been broken up into tiny particles (aka “microplastics”) floating through their habitats. 

Equally alarmingly, plastic pollution in the oceans is essentially  irreversible . It takes hundreds of years (or longer) to fully degrade; all the while, those pieces of plastic are also leaching toxic chemicals. And we're not just talking about people dumping their garbage overboard. Around 80 percent of marine plastic pollution actually originates on land—either swept in from the coastline or carried to rivers from the streets during heavy rain via storm drains and sewer overflows.

Of course, plastic is pervasive throughout our ecosystems (and even our  clouds ), and our addiction to the stuff is a danger to terrestrial animals as well. And that’s to say nothing of the  hazards the plastic crisis poses to our climate and our health too.

Given all these dangers, it's in our best interest to try to keep as much plastic as possible out of the waste stream in the first place. The good news? There are many small ways you can have a big impact.

1. Wean yourself off single-use plastics.

Half of all plastic produced is for throwaway items that are used once and then chucked: grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws, coffee-cup lids. Take note of how often you rely on  single-use plastics and replace them with reusable versions. It only takes a few times of bringing your own totes to the store, garment bag to the dry cleaner, silverware to the office, or travel mug to the coffee shop before it becomes habit.

2. Stop buying bottled water.

Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. Carry a reusable bottle in your bag, and you’ll save money and plastic—you may also be making  the safer choice by sticking with tap water .

3. Boycott microbeads.

Those little plastic scrubbers found in so many beauty products—facial scrubs, toothpaste, body washes—might look harmless, but their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants. Unfortunately, they also look just like food to some marine animals. Opt for products with natural exfoliants, like oatmeal or salt, instead.

Approach cosmetics, in particular, with caution: When the Plastic Soup Foundation, a Dutch nonprofit, tested the 10 most popular brands from Europe’s four largest cosmetics manufacturers, they found that  only 13 percent of nearly 8,000 products (ranging from mascara and lipsticks to foundations and deodorant) were free of microplastics. 

4. Cook more.

Not only is it healthier but making your own meals doesn’t involve takeout containers or doggy bags. For those times when you do order in or eat out, tell the establishment you don’t need any plastic cutlery or plastic carry-out bags. For some serious extra credit, bring your own food-storage containers to restaurants for leftovers. 

Another tip for the kitchen: Choose wooden cutting boards. A recent  study published in the journal  Environmental Science & Technology found that plastic cutting boards could be a significant source of microplastics in our diet. With proper care, wooden cutting boards are a safer alternative that can last you many years. 

5. Purchase items secondhand.

The shine of new toys, trinkets, and electronic gadgets wears off fast. Search the shelves of thrift stores, neighborhood garage sales, or online postings for items (plastic and otherwise) that are just as good when previously used. For things you rarely need, consider borrowing before you decide to buy new. Not only will you consume less plastic when you start making  these efforts to reduce and reuse more in your life, you’ll save yourself a few bucks, too.

6. Recycle.

A recent report from the nonprofit  Beyond Plastics found that the recycling rate for plastics in the United States in 2021 was down to about 6 percent. While  we can’t recycle our way out of the plastics crisis , recycling is still important to reduce the footprint of our waste stream. To sort through what can and can’t go in the bin, check out the number on the bottom of your containers. Most beverage and liquid cleaner bottles will be #1 (PET), which is commonly accepted by most curbside recycling companies. Containers marked #2 (HDPE; typically heavier-duty bottles for milk, juice, and laundry detergent) are also commonly recyclable. Containers marked #5 (PP; plastic cutlery, yogurt and margarine tubs, ketchup bottles) also qualify in some areas. For the specifics on your locality, check out Earth911.org’s  recycling directory .

But remember, reducing is still the better option.

7. Support a bag tax or ban.

Urge your elected officials to follow the lead of those in San Francisco, Chicago, and more than  500 other cities, counties, and states by introducing or supporting  legislation that would make plastic bag use less desirable .

8. Buy in bulk and look for eco-friendly packaging.

Single-serving yogurts, tiny packages of nuts—consider the product-to-packaging ratio of items you tend to buy often and select the bigger container instead of buying several smaller ones over time. Look for opportunities to buy staples like rice and pasta from bulk containers and store them in jars at home. When you have the option, choose products in nonplastic packaging (e.g. go for the glass jar of honey, not the squeezable honey bear).

9. Choose clothing made from natural fibers.

An estimated  9 percent of the microplastics in the ocean are coming from synthetic fibers—the kind found in materials like nylon, acrylic, polyester, and fleece. They’re shed from the clothes we wear, and  make their way from our laundry machines to wastewater plants, before spreading throughout the environment. When possible, choose clothing and textiles made of natural materials, like cotton and wool, instead. 

10. Put pressure on manufacturers.

Though we can make a difference through our own habits, corporations obviously have a much bigger footprint. If you believe a company could be smarter about its packaging and use less plastic, make your voice heard. Write a letter, tag them on social media, or hit them where it really hurts: Give your money to a more sustainable competitor.  

This story was originally published on January 5, 2016, and has been updated with new information and links.

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Plastic pollution has been linked to everything from cancer in humans to death in wildlife.

A strong Global Plastics Treaty could help rid the world of harmful plastics—and as one of the world’s largest producers, the U.S. has a critical role to play.

Urge the Biden administration to enact a strong Global Plastics Treaty

Plastic pollution has been linked to everything from cancer in humans to death in wildlife. A strong Global Plastics Treaty could help rid the world of harmful plastics—and as one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of plastic, the United States has a critical role to play.

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Essay on Solution to Plastic Pollution

Students are often asked to write an essay on Solution to Plastic Pollution in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Solution to Plastic Pollution

Understanding plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution is a serious issue. It happens when plastic waste piles up in the environment, causing harm to wildlife and humans.

The Problem

Plastic doesn’t decompose easily. This means it stays around for a long time, causing pollution. Animals can eat plastic, which can make them sick.

1. Reduce: Try to use less plastic. Choose products with less packaging. 2. Reuse: Use things more than once. Instead of throwing away plastic bags, use them again. 3. Recycle: Turn old plastic into new things. This reduces the need for new plastic.

Everyone can help fight plastic pollution. By reducing, reusing, and recycling, we can make a difference.

250 Words Essay on Solution to Plastic Pollution

Introduction.

Plastic pollution is a pervasive issue threatening our global environment. As plastic waste accumulates in our oceans, landfills, and ecosystems, it poses significant risks to wildlife and human health. The solution to this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach.

Reducing Plastic Consumption

The first step in addressing plastic pollution is reducing consumption. Individuals can make a significant impact by opting for reusable items, such as water bottles, shopping bags, and straws. Businesses also have a role to play in offering sustainable alternatives and reducing unnecessary plastic packaging.

Improving Waste Management

Secondly, improving waste management systems is crucial. Many developing nations lack the infrastructure to properly dispose of plastic, leading to significant leakage into the environment. Investment in waste management, particularly in these regions, can dramatically reduce plastic pollution.

Recycling and Innovation

Thirdly, enhancing recycling efforts and promoting innovation in plastic alternatives are vital. While recycling rates remain low globally, technological advancements can help increase efficiency and make recycling more feasible. Simultaneously, research into biodegradable and compostable plastics can provide environmentally friendly alternatives.

Policy and Legislation

Lastly, policy and legislation play a critical role. Governments can implement regulations to limit single-use plastics, incentivize recycling, and support the development of sustainable alternatives.

In conclusion, the solution to plastic pollution is complex and requires collective action. By reducing consumption, improving waste management, promoting recycling and innovation, and implementing effective policies, we can mitigate the impact of plastic pollution and safeguard our environment for future generations.

500 Words Essay on Solution to Plastic Pollution

Policy changes.

Government regulations play a crucial role in mitigating plastic pollution. Policies such as banning single-use plastics, implementing plastic bag fees, and establishing extended producer responsibility laws can significantly reduce plastic waste. For instance, the European Union’s ban on single-use plastic items has been a significant step towards reducing plastic pollution. Moreover, governments should invest in infrastructure for waste management, especially in developing countries where such systems are often inadequate.

Technological Innovations

Technological advancements offer promising solutions to plastic pollution. Biodegradable plastics, made from renewable sources like corn starch, can decompose naturally, reducing their environmental impact. However, these alternatives are not without their challenges, such as higher production costs and limited composting facilities.

Another promising solution is the development of advanced recycling technologies. Traditional recycling methods are limited, as they can only process certain types of plastics. Advanced recycling technologies, like chemical recycling, can convert a wider range of plastic waste into their original building blocks, thereby creating a truly circular economy for plastics.

Individual Actions

While policy changes and technological innovations are crucial, individual actions are equally important. We can all contribute to the solution by reducing, reusing, and recycling plastics in our daily lives. Reducing involves minimizing our consumption of plastic products, especially single-use items. Reusing means opting for reusable items instead of disposable ones. Recycling involves properly disposing of plastic waste so that it can be converted into new products.

Educational Initiatives

Education is a powerful tool in the fight against plastic pollution. By raising awareness about the issue and promoting sustainable behaviors, we can foster a culture of responsibility towards the environment. Schools, universities, and community organizations should incorporate environmental education into their programs, focusing on the impacts of plastic pollution and the ways to mitigate it.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Plastic Pollution Essay

500+ words essay on plastic pollution.

Plastic has become an integral part of our daily lives. We begin our day using mugs and buckets made of plastic for bathing. Further, as we trace back our activities throughout the day, we use plastic in the form of water bottles, combs, food packaging, milk pouches, straws, disposable cutlery, carry bags, gift wrappers, toys etc. The wide use of plastic has resulted in a large amount of waste generated. Plastic has been so much used that plastic pollution has become one of the environmental problems that the world is facing today. It has impacted the environment, our health and well-being. We have all contributed to this problem, and now it’s our responsibility to work towards it to reduce and ultimately End Plastic Pollution. This essay on plastic pollution will help students to understand the harmful effects of using plastic and how it is affecting our environment. So, students must go through it and then try to write their own essays on this topic. They can also practise CBSE essays on different topics as well.

Plastic Pollution

The accumulation of plastic products in huge amounts in the Earth’s environment is called plastic pollution. It adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, and humans, which has become a major concern. In 2008, our global plastic consumption worldwide was estimated at 260 million tons. Plastic is versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture-resistant, strong, and relatively inexpensive, because of which it is excessively used by everyone. It has replaced and displaced many other materials, such as wood, paper, stone, leather, metal, glass and ceramic. Plastics have come to clutter almost every landscape. In the modern world, plastics can be found in components ranging from stationery items to spaceships. Therefore, the over-consumption of plastic goods, discarding, littering, use and throwing culture has resulted in plastic waste generation and thus creating plastic pollution.

Every day, thousands of tons of pollutants are discarded into the air by natural events and human actions. Far more damaging are the substances discharged into the atmosphere by human actions. Most plastics are highly resistant to the natural processes of degradation. As a result, it takes a longer period of time to degrade the plastic. It has resulted in the enormous presence of plastic pollution in the environment and, at the same time, adversely affected human health. It is estimated that plastic waste constitutes approximately 10% of the total municipal waste worldwide and that 80% of all plastic found in the world’s oceans originates from land-based sources.

How to Manage Plastic Pollution?

To save the environment from plastic waste, we should minimise and ultimately end the use of plastic. Each one of us has to learn the following 4 R’s:

• Refuse – Say no to plastic, particularly single-use plastic, as much as possible.
• Reduce – Limit or reduce the use of plastic in daily life.
• Reuse – Reuse plastic products as much as possible before disposing of them.
• Recycle – Plastic products should be recycled into other usable products. This reduces the demand for manufacturing raw plastic required to make various plastic products.

Apart from that, we should educate other people around us. We should create awareness campaigns in public places and help people know about plastic pollution and its harmful effects. We should stop this culture of using and throwing and start reusing things. When everyone takes a pledge to minimise the use of plastic, then we will be able to manage plastic pollution.

Students must have found this Essay on Plastic Pollution helpful for improving their writing section. They can also access more study material related to CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive exams, by visiting the BYJU’S website.

Frequently asked Questions on Plastic pollution Essay

How does plastic pollution affect the environment.

Excessive usage of plastic products has caused the accumulation of this plastic on Earth. Plastic is non-biodegradable and does not naturally degrade or break down thus these plastics are flooded over the Earth.

How to reduce plastic usage?

Replacement of plastic items with jute, cotton and other biodegradable items needs to come into practice more.

What are the simple steps to avoid plastic overuse?

The simple 3 R method can be followed: “Reduce, reuse and recycle”.

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August 21, 2024

The U.S. Has Its First Plan for Plastic Pollution. This Is What’s in It

The U.S.’s first plastic pollution plan features better measuring standards, more responsibility for producers and an end to single-use products

By Sarah J. Morath & The Conversation US

Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Plastic waste is piling up at a daunting pace around the world. The World Bank estimates that every person on the planet generates an average of 1.6 pounds (0.74 kilograms) of plastic waste daily .

To curb this flow, 175 nations are negotiating a binding international treaty on plastic pollution, with a completion target of late 2024. In July 2024, the Biden administration released the first U.S. plan for addressing this problem .

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The new U.S. strategy covers five areas: plastic production, product design, waste generation, waste management and plastic capture and removal. It also lists actions that federal agencies and departments are currently pursuing.

I study environmental law , including efforts to reduce plastic pollution . As the world’s largest economy, the U.S. is a critical player in this effort. Based on my research, here are three proposals in the U.S. plan that I believe are important and one omission that I view as a major gap.

A federal standard for measuring microplastics

Studies have detected tiny plastic fragments, known as microplastics, in settings that include the atmosphere , drinking water sources , wild animals and human food chains .

While scientists have found that wildlife, such as seabirds, can be harmed by consuming plastic , the effects on human health are less clear . Unlike other pollutants, microplastics have different effects depending on their size, their shape and where they are found, such as in food, air or water. And humans can be exposed to them via many different pathways , including inhalation, ingestion and touch.

There is no federal standard for measuring microplastics in various media, such as water and soil, so studies lack standardized definitions, methods and reporting techniques. In 2023, California launched a microplastic monitoring program , which includes developing a standardized method for measuring microplastics in drinking water.

The Biden administration’s plan calls for developing standardized methods for collecting, quantifying and characterizing microplastics and nanoplastics , which are even smaller. This will help scientists generate consistent data that regulators can use to set limits on microplastics in food, water and air.

Extended producer responsibility

All plastics contain chemicals that add properties such as strength, softness, color and fire resistance. A subset of these chemicals, including bisphenols and phthalates , have been linked to adverse health effects that include fetal abnormalities, reproductive health problems and cancer .

Some scientists argue that certain types of plastic waste with particularly harmful ingredients or properties, including PVC, polystyrene, polyurethane and polycarbonate, should be classified as hazardous waste . Currently, the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan consider items made from these plastics as solid waste and treat them in the same way as kitchen food scraps or used office paper.

The fact that only about 5% of U.S. plastic waste is currently recycled , while 9% is incinerated and 86% is buried in landfills, has sparked calls for assigning some responsibility to plastic producers.

Extended producer responsibility laws , which exist for other products such as paint and electronics, make producers responsible for collecting and disposing of their products or paying part of the costs to manage these wastes. Such requirements give producers incentives to create more environmentally friendly products and support recycling.

As of mid-2024, California, Colorado, Maine and Oregon have adopted extended producer responsibility laws for plastic waste, and about a dozen other states are considering similar measures. Studies show that when such policies are adopted, recycling rates increase .

The Biden administration plan calls for launching a national extended producer responsibility initiative that would allow state, local and tribal governments to develop their own approaches while offering a vision for a harmonized national system and goals for plastic waste management. Support at the federal level could help more jurisdictions enact rules that require producers to help manage these wastes.

Banning single-use plastics

Bans on plastic items are a tool to reduce waste generation. Most of these measures apply to items that are used once and discarded, such as shopping bags, food wrappers and plastic bottles. Items like these are the most common plastics in the environment.

The U.S. plan calls for developing strategies to “replace, reduce, and phase out unnecessary use and purchase of plastic products by the Federal Government,” including an end to the purchase of single-use plastic items by 2035. Although this action applies only to use by federal agencies, the U.S. government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world , so this step can send a powerful signal in favor of alternative products.

Capping plastic production

Current projections suggest that global plastic production will double by 2040 , with an accompanying surge in plastic waste. In response, 66 countries have formed the High Ambition Coalition , co-chaired by Norway and Rwanda, to support stringent provisions in the global plastics treaty. One of their central goals is limiting global plastic production.

The Conversation ( CC BY-ND ); Source: Our World in Data

Early in 2024, several nations participating in the treaty negotiations proposed to cut world plastic production 40% below 2025 levels by 2040 . This concept is still under discussion.

Plastic manufacturers and companies reliant on plastic argue that a production cap would drive up the costs of all plastics. Instead, groups like the World Plastics Council are calling for steps that would reduce plastic waste generation, such as using resins with more recycled content and increasing recycling rates.

Through mid-2024, the U.S. had not endorsed a cap on plastic production. However, in August, press reports stated that the Biden administration was changing its position and will support limits , including creating a global list of target chemicals to restrict.

This is a major change that I expect could move more countries to support limits on new plastic production. Details are likely to emerge as the final round of negotiations, scheduled for November 2024 in Busan, South Korea, approaches. The plastics industry strongly opposes limiting production , and Congress would have to ratify a global treaty to make its provisions binding on the U.S. But U.S. support could boost the chances of capping the ever-increasing flow of plastic into the world economy.

This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

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Plastic Pollution

We will not recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis: we need a systemic transformation to achieve the transition to a circular economy

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Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Plastic pollution is a global problem. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas.

Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. 

UNEP’s body of work demonstrates that the problem of plastic pollution doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The environmental, social, economic and health risks of plastics need to be assessed alongside other environmental stressors, like climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource use.

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• Plastic Pollution Essay

Essay on Plastic Pollution

Plastic waste makes its way from our homes and offices to landfills and bodies of water, causing contamination. For the sake of health and the environment, it is important to properly dispose of such plastic waste and to reduce its widespread use. Here we have provided both a Long and Short essay on plastic pollution for students of Class 1 to 12.

Students can refer to these plastic pollution essays in English to gain some insights on the topic as well as a reference for writing their essays.

Long Essay on Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is becoming more of a global problem. Governments, foundations, and some social media organizations are all attempting to raise awareness about this issue. Plastic goods are commonly used in industry because they are more effective and less costly than other materials.

Plastic, on the other hand, triggers a slew of environmental issues. Plastic pollution has several negative effects on our climate, but the three most important are ocean pollution, land pollution, and food pollution.

Plastic pollution is wreaking havoc on the oceans, and it's getting worse every year. Some governments are imposing strict regulations to discourage the use of plastic goods so that people are aware of the effect of plastic waste on the environment. As a result, action must be taken to address this issue before it is too late.

Plastics come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they are commonly used in our everyday lives. Today, it's difficult to find a substance that isn't made of plastic. Thermosets, also known as thermoplastics, are used in several products.

The following are a few examples of plastic objects that people typically use in their daily lives:

PET fabric and polyester condensers.

Plastic tapes–fabrics, garments, curtains, carpets, conveyors, mouldings, tarpaulins, etc. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)–used in water bottles, tubes, detergent bottles, food trays in microwaves.

PET fabric and polyester condensers, LCDs, and plastic tapes–fabrics, clothes, curtains, carpets, conveyors, mouldings have frequently broken FAQor or wall corsets made of polyvinyl chloride, automobile instrument boards, electrical wiring sheaths, games, syringes, cloth covers, window frames, and other high-density polyethene building materials Plastic bags, trash bags, prescription bottles, empty food containers, bottles, and milk bottle liners are all examples of items that can be recycled.

While it might seem that addressing chemical waste issues is as simple as recycling or washing empty bottles, the reality is that polluting plastic can vary in size from large to small.

Even if you don't want it on those products, plastic is all around us. Milk boxes are stuffed with cardboard, water bottles are strewn around, and some items can also contain small plastic pieces. Chemical pollutants are more likely to enter the environment and cause harm each time one of these items is discarded or swept away.

Plastic is one of the many widely available but overused items in today's world due to its low cost. When burned in the open, this does not decompose quickly and pollutes the underlying soil or groundwater.

Commercial fisheries are an unavoidable requirement in many parts of the world, but many people consume fish daily. Nonetheless, this industry has culminated in a variety of solutions to the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. Plastic is often used in the nets used by certain large-scale troll operations. Second, they spend a lot of time submerged in water, where they can freely release contaminants, but they are frequently dissolved or killed, leaving them to live wherever they land. It not only destroys and threatens native animals, but it also allows chemicals to swim away and contaminate nearby fish.

The majority of the items are made of plastic, but most of the materials are not biodegradable, making disposal difficult. There were no natural methods in place to recycle non-biodegradable plastics. It cannot be recycled or left to starve in the manner in which traditional waste is discarded or spilt.

Also, reuse does not reduce steel use because it recycles existing plastics in a new shape. In a variety of ways, the method of paper recycling can result in the release of plastic allergens.

Short Plastic Pollution Essay in English

Plastic waste has long-term social, economic, and ecotoxicological effects. Entanglement, swallowing, and starvation are some of the physical effects on sea life. Chemical influence: the accumulation of residual chemical contaminants like PCBs and DDT.

It's easy to see how this amount of oil, which isn't meant to penetrate, can harm the environment over time, causing long-term problems for plants, animals, and humans. The following are a few of the major long-term consequences of pollution:

Upsets the Flow of Food - Polluting materials, which come in smaller and larger dimensions, impact even the tiniest species on the earth, such as plankton. When these species become contaminated as a result of plastic ingestion, it poses a threat to larger animals that depend on them for food. Any move further along the food supply chain can cause a slew of problems. Furthermore, it means that plastic is present in the fish that so many people consume daily.

Groundwater Pollution - Chemicals are released into the soil and leak into groundwater, resulting in groundwater pollution (also known as groundwater contamination). Such a type of water pollution may also occur naturally as a result of the presence of a minor and undesirable component, contaminant, or impurity in underground water, in which case it is more likely to be referred to as waste rather than pollution. Plastics are responsible for almost all the waste and pollution that pollutes the world's oceans. It will have devastating effects for a variety of marine animals, with repercussions for those that consume fish or other sea life for food, such as humans.

Land Pollution - Once dumped in landfills, the plastic reacts with water or forms toxic chemicals. If these pollutants flow deep into the water, they degrade its efficiency. The stench wafts through the litter and transports waste from one place to the next. They can also become entrapped in posts, traffic lights, trees, walls, houses, and other structures, as well as predators that may arrive in the area and suffocate to death.

Air Pollution - Air pollution appears to be a mix of solid particles and gases in the atmosphere. Pollutants from automobiles, plants, smoke, pollen, and mould spores can all be stored as particulate matter. Ozone is a chemical that contributes significantly to urban air pollution. Smog is the term for when ozone causes air pollution. Some of the toxins in the air are poisonous.

Plastic trash disposal that isn't done properly would have a huge environmental effect. To ensure that the environment remains free of plastic waste, waste disposal using green technologies and proper waste management must be strictly controlled. The preservation of the environment from rising plastic contamination is the responsibility of every human being.

Causes of Plastic Pollution

Plastic can be found in everything from milk cartons to water bottles. Plastics are inexpensive, simple to manufacture, and extremely durable. Toxic contaminants have a greater probability of infiltrating the environment and causing harm every time one of these plastic objects is disposed of or rinsed down the drain.

It is one of the most commonly available and overused items in the world today because it is less expensive. Demand for low-cost plastics is increasing because of rising urbanization and population increase.

Because they're so inexpensive, they're also easily discarded. When burned in the open air, it does not degrade quickly and pollutes the ground and air nearby.

Waste is frequently carried by the winds. Plastic, because it is lightweight, is carried away by gentle winds and washed into sewers, rivers, streams and, eventually, the oceans. Natural disasters, such as floods, should also be taken into account as sources of plastic pollution.

Commercial fishing is a necessary economic industry in many regions of the world, but it has contributed to the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans in several ways. Plastic nets are commonly utilized in certain large-scale fishing activities. They are frequently broken apart or misplaced and can rot wherever they fall. Marine animals become entangled in nets and/or ingest the poisonous particles.

FAQs on Plastic Pollution Essay

1. What do we Mean by Plastic Pollution?

Plastic Pollution occurs when synthetic plastic goods accumulate in the atmosphere to the point that they pose a threat to wildlife and their ecosystems, as well as human populations.

2. What are the Ways in Which we can Avoid/Control Plastic Pollution?

The reality is that the only way to fix this problem is for people and businesses all over the world to agree to and enforce pollution-reduction policies. The best plastic pollution solutions to control and avoid it are listed below.

Shop Friendly - Plastic bags have become a daily convenience, but they can be easily replaced with plastic bags, some of which are elegantly structured and lightweight. Simply add up how many things you typically carry out of a store and divide by the number of times you shop there. It's a substantial sum of money! Take a bag and, if you have any, just use plastic bags as much as you can.

Get Rid of Bottled Water - Drinking plenty of water is recommended every day, and giant water bottles are becoming a popular way to stay hydrated during the day. Furthermore, some of these are only licenced for individual use, meaning that any full container will end up in the trash. Several companies are now selling recycled water bottles as a substitute, reducing plastic waste and the availability of leaky bottles.

Reduce the Usage of To-go Containers - You'd be amazed to hear how much plastic is used in the manufacture and storage of food containers. Though the cafe's drink cup is documented and usually wrapped in acrylic for padding (for either a cup of coffee or a piece of cardboard to see what's going on). Plastic food plates, lids, and cookware can all be quickly replaced with recycled materials, resulting in a substantial reduction in waste from only one meal.

3. Why is plastic pollution on the rise?

The accumulation of plastic in the environment causes plastic pollution. Primary plastics, such as cigarette butts and bottle caps, are classified as primary, whereas secondary plastics, which emerge from the decomposition of primary plastics, are classified as secondary. Its world production is increasing at an exponential rate. Plastic pollution is on the rise because of people's persistent need to use plastic. Its outstanding features, including simplicity of shape, low cost, and mechanical resistance, all contribute to its success. It is both inexpensive and readily available. Furthermore, plastic does not decompose in the soil or water; it persists for over a century, contributing to an increase in plastic pollution. Plastic is practically everywhere because it is the suitable material for packaging. Natural disasters, such as floods, should be considered plastic pollution sources.

4. How does plastic pollution affect the environment?

Plastic pollution has a range of effects on the environment. Plastic stays in the ecosystem for a long time, causing a hazard to wildlife and spreading pollutants. Plastic also majorly contributes to global warming. Almost all plastics are made from chemicals used in the manufacturing of fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change. To begin with, it pollutes our water. So, there is a scarcity of clean water and everyone's needs for clean water can’t be fulfilled. It is also eroding our soils and fields. Disease-carrying insects are accumulating in plastic landfills, and soil fertility is worsening. Plastics are also released into the atmosphere when they are burned in incinerators, releasing greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollution. Plastic has an impact on all organisms in the food chain, from microscopic plankton to whales.

5. Where can I get a collection of long and short essays for my school?

Vedantu has a good collection of long and short essays to help students from Class 1 – 12. Vedantu's online educational platform will provide you with a comprehensive learning experience. You will be able to chat with some of the instructors with adequate expertise to coach you for school exams, competitive exams, and so on through our live interactive teaching sessions. In addition to coaching classes, we provide revision notes for grades 6 to 12. You can also easily download them and access them as per your convenience. Students who are looking for good quality study material, can download that from Vedantu website in PDF format with no extra cost. You can also get more resources for free by downloading the Vedantu app.

Home / Essay Samples / Environment / Ocean Pollution / Plastic Pollution In The Ocean

Plastic Pollution In The Ocean

• Category: Science , Environment
• Topic: Ocean , Ocean Pollution , Pollution

Pages: 3 (1159 words)

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