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.
The paper studies the microplastic abundances and characteristics in the Southern Jiangsu Canal to reveal the effect of riverside cities on microplastics in river water. The results show that the microplastic abundance in the water body of the South Jiangsu Canal ranges from 3.41 to 19.07 particles L−1, with an average of 9.59 ± 3.95[…]
This paper reveals the status of microplastic pollution in paddy soil with long-term mulching. The study investigates the distribution and weathering characteristics of filmy microplastics in a mulched paddy field (non-mulched, four years of mulched, and ten years of continuous mulched soil were investigated) in Southwest China. The filmy microplastics accumulated annually in the plough[…]
The paper reviews advancements in polymer technologies that aim to improve the efficiency of recycling and upcycling plastic waste. Increasing the rate of recycling and upcycling is critical for addressing the issues caused by plastic pollution, and, at the same time, overcoming the technical limitations on the same. The research emphasises the need to develop[…]
The study analyses the current advancements in the behavioural differences between MPs and NPs in urban waters. Analytical challenges, fate, interactions with surrounding pollutants, and eco-impacts of MPs and NPs are similarly discussed in this paper. It has been highlighted in the study that the characterization and fate studies of NPs are more challenging as[…]
The study investigates scientifically evidence-based policy initiatives for targeting plastic pollution. The issue of plastic pollution is complex and still related to several uncertainties, which implies that policy initiatives must allow for flexibility and ongoing evaluations to adjust to the evolving knowledge generation. It is also important that the scientific community provide the needed research[…]