Several governments have focused on marine plastic pollution. Implementing and monitoring a global agreement requires concrete commitments, technical and financial support, national, regional, and international transparency and data sharing, and strengthening action by organizations and/or individuals, as well as coordination with existing treaties. Reducing virgin plastic production and consumption (Goal 1: Reduce); facilitating a circular plastic economy based on waste hierarchy principles (Goal 2: Reuse – Repair – Recycle); and reducing plastic pollution are among the goals of an international agreement. Reducing plastic pollution requires regular reporting. Monitoring and analyzing plastic pollution is crucial to ensuring reduction strategies are effective (Walker et al., 2021). It’s important to monitor and assess plastic pollution locally, nationally, and regionally. Global agreements are possible if they involve industry, governments, stakeholders, and citizens, yet most negotiations take at least two years and realistically implementation much longer. Any convention usually takes around eight to ten years, especially because countries’ legal systems need to be harmonized. The review article concludes in the hope that negotiations at UNEA 5.2 will kickstart a new global plastic pollution agreement.
This paper characterizes the fungal and bacterial colonizers of 5 types of plastic films (High-Density Polyethylene, Low-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate) throughout a 242-day incubation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and relates them to the chemical changes observed on the surface of the samples via ATR-FTIR. Neither bacterial nor fungal community structures were related[…]
This paper provides insights into the sustainable alternatives that can replace conventional plastic mulches, such as biodegradable mulches made from natural fibers and biopolymers. The microscopic and FTIR analyses conducted during the study showed the degradation of the fibers from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The nonwoven mulches provide higher[…]
This paper investigates the degradation of biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) and traditional polyethylene (PE) plastic under two typical abiotic conditions: ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and mechanical abrasion (MA) for up to nine months. The quantitative analysis of the degradation products was carried out using membrane filtration and total organic carbon determination (MF-TOCD). The results[…]
This paper identifies technological innovation, policy formulation, advocacy and sensitization, and bioremediation as some of the approaches that are currently used for the mitigation of plastic pollution in Nigeria. This chapter also highlights the need to encourage, enhance, and disseminate scientific research on mitigating the harmful effects of plastic pollution in Nigeria. It concluded with[…]
This review provides insights into the sources of microplastics, the ecotoxicity of microplastics, and the impact microplastics have on aquatic and marine life, management, and bioremediation of microplastics. Policies and strategies adopted by the government to combat microplastic pollution are also discussed in this review. Microplastics tend to accumulate in many aquatic systems, contaminate them,[…]