Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation
The mismanagement of plastic materials has grown to become a mounting global pollution concern that is closely implicated in unsustainable production and consumption paradigms. The ecological, social, and economic impacts of plastic waste mismanagement are currently transboundary in nature and have...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Environments |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/9/2/15 |
| _version_ | 1797480510548606976 |
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| author | Avalon Diggle Tony R. Walker |
| author_facet | Avalon Diggle Tony R. Walker |
| author_sort | Avalon Diggle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The mismanagement of plastic materials has grown to become a mounting global pollution concern that is closely implicated in unsustainable production and consumption paradigms. The ecological, social, and economic impacts of plastic waste mismanagement are currently transboundary in nature and have necessitated numerous methods of government intervention in order to address and mitigate the globalized and multifaceted dilemmas posed by high rates and volumes of plastic waste generation. This review examines the current landscape of a plastics economy which has operated with a linear momentum, employing large quantities of primary resources and disincentivizing the functioning of a robust recycling market for collecting plastic waste and reintegrating it into the consumer market. This contextualizes an increasing plastic pollution crisis that has required global efforts to address and mitigate the ecological risks and socio-economic challenges of mismanaged plastic waste. A timeline of government interventions regarding plastic pollution is described, including numerous international, regional, and local actions to combat plastic waste, and this is followed by an examination of the relevance of the extended producer responsibility principle to improve plastic waste management and obligate industry to assume responsibility in waste collection and recycling. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:01:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eacd71a2e167470e9556ce29b1927f44 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3298 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:01:05Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environments |
| spelling | doaj.art-eacd71a2e167470e9556ce29b1927f442023-11-23T19:49:21ZengMDPI AGEnvironments2076-32982022-01-01921510.3390/environments9020015Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for MitigationAvalon Diggle0Tony R. Walker1School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaSchool for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, CanadaThe mismanagement of plastic materials has grown to become a mounting global pollution concern that is closely implicated in unsustainable production and consumption paradigms. The ecological, social, and economic impacts of plastic waste mismanagement are currently transboundary in nature and have necessitated numerous methods of government intervention in order to address and mitigate the globalized and multifaceted dilemmas posed by high rates and volumes of plastic waste generation. This review examines the current landscape of a plastics economy which has operated with a linear momentum, employing large quantities of primary resources and disincentivizing the functioning of a robust recycling market for collecting plastic waste and reintegrating it into the consumer market. This contextualizes an increasing plastic pollution crisis that has required global efforts to address and mitigate the ecological risks and socio-economic challenges of mismanaged plastic waste. A timeline of government interventions regarding plastic pollution is described, including numerous international, regional, and local actions to combat plastic waste, and this is followed by an examination of the relevance of the extended producer responsibility principle to improve plastic waste management and obligate industry to assume responsibility in waste collection and recycling.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/9/2/15plastic pollutionmarine litterfood packagingsingle-use plastics (SUPs)recycling and reuseextended producer responsibility (EPR) |
| spellingShingle | Avalon Diggle Tony R. Walker Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation Environments plastic pollution marine litter food packaging single-use plastics (SUPs) recycling and reuse extended producer responsibility (EPR) |
| title | Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation |
| title_full | Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation |
| title_fullStr | Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation |
| title_short | Environmental and Economic Impacts of Mismanaged Plastics and Measures for Mitigation |
| title_sort | environmental and economic impacts of mismanaged plastics and measures for mitigation |
| topic | plastic pollution marine litter food packaging single-use plastics (SUPs) recycling and reuse extended producer responsibility (EPR) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/9/2/15 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT avalondiggle environmentalandeconomicimpactsofmismanagedplasticsandmeasuresformitigation AT tonyrwalker environmentalandeconomicimpactsofmismanagedplasticsandmeasuresformitigation |