Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy
Plastic pollution has received unprecedented attention globally, and there are increasing calls to control it. Despite this, the uptrends of plastic consumption and mismanaged plastic waste show little sign of reversal. This review aims to examine the attitudes of various societal groups towards pla...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Waste |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0391/1/2/34 |
| _version_ | 1797592355945054208 |
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| author | Kuok Ho Daniel Tang |
| author_facet | Kuok Ho Daniel Tang |
| author_sort | Kuok Ho Daniel Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plastic pollution has received unprecedented attention globally, and there are increasing calls to control it. Despite this, the uptrends of plastic consumption and mismanaged plastic waste show little sign of reversal. This review aims to examine the attitudes of various societal groups towards plastics to identify the behavioral barriers to reduce plastic pollution and synthesize effective countermeasures. It achieved the aim through content analysis of the most recent literature related to attitudes and behaviors towards plastic pollution, consumption and management, as well as an important emerging theme on plastics recycling ecosystem and economy. It reveals the general negative attitudes of the participants in the studies reviewed towards plastic pollution and their willing attitude to act against it by supporting campaigns, paying for environmentally friendly alternatives and supporting solution-based interventions from governments including policies, regulations and guidelines. Inconvenience due to limited options for plastic items and habits are two main barriers to behavioral changes. This underscores the crucial roles of governments to tap into these attitudes to lead and intensify plastic pollution control through a multi-pronged approach that facilitates systematic substitution of conventional plastics with environmentally friendly alternatives as well as the stepping-up of the circular plastic economy and industrial symbiosis. This review deems that progressively regulated capping of conventional plastic production and consumption could help the transition, and the public could complement government endeavors through education, mutual influence and awareness-raising which could also be driven by governmental policies and programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:50:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58a28b0a706e4743982aa60817193c79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2813-0391 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:50:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Waste |
| spelling | doaj.art-58a28b0a706e4743982aa60817193c792023-11-18T13:03:52ZengMDPI AGWaste2813-03912023-06-011256958710.3390/waste1020034Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular EconomyKuok Ho Daniel Tang0Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USAPlastic pollution has received unprecedented attention globally, and there are increasing calls to control it. Despite this, the uptrends of plastic consumption and mismanaged plastic waste show little sign of reversal. This review aims to examine the attitudes of various societal groups towards plastics to identify the behavioral barriers to reduce plastic pollution and synthesize effective countermeasures. It achieved the aim through content analysis of the most recent literature related to attitudes and behaviors towards plastic pollution, consumption and management, as well as an important emerging theme on plastics recycling ecosystem and economy. It reveals the general negative attitudes of the participants in the studies reviewed towards plastic pollution and their willing attitude to act against it by supporting campaigns, paying for environmentally friendly alternatives and supporting solution-based interventions from governments including policies, regulations and guidelines. Inconvenience due to limited options for plastic items and habits are two main barriers to behavioral changes. This underscores the crucial roles of governments to tap into these attitudes to lead and intensify plastic pollution control through a multi-pronged approach that facilitates systematic substitution of conventional plastics with environmentally friendly alternatives as well as the stepping-up of the circular plastic economy and industrial symbiosis. This review deems that progressively regulated capping of conventional plastic production and consumption could help the transition, and the public could complement government endeavors through education, mutual influence and awareness-raising which could also be driven by governmental policies and programs.https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0391/1/2/34attitudesbehaviorspoliciescircular economyrecyclingsubstitutes |
| spellingShingle | Kuok Ho Daniel Tang Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy Waste attitudes behaviors policies circular economy recycling substitutes |
| title | Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy |
| title_full | Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy |
| title_short | Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy |
| title_sort | attitudes towards plastic pollution a review and mitigations beyond circular economy |
| topic | attitudes behaviors policies circular economy recycling substitutes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0391/1/2/34 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kuokhodanieltang attitudestowardsplasticpollutionareviewandmitigationsbeyondcirculareconomy |