Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution

Lau, Winnie W. Y.; Shiran, Yonathan; Bailey, Richard M.; Cook, Ed; Stuchtey, Martin; Koskella, Julia; Velis, Costas A.; Godfrey, Linda; Boucher, Julien; Murphy, Margaret B.; Thompson, Richard C.; Jankowska, Emilia; Castillo, Arturo Castillo; Pilditch, Toby D.; Dixon, B.; Koerselman, Laura; Kosior, Edward; Favoino, Enzo; Gutberlet, Jutta; Baulch, Sarah; Atreya, Meera E.; Fischer, David L.; He, Kevin K.; Petit, Milan M.; Sumaila, U. Rashid; Neil, Emily; Bernhofen, Mark V.; Lawrence, Keith S.; Palardy, James E.

doi:10.1126/science.aba9475

Cited by 1,049 publications

(647 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…technical nutrients, and even some biological ones) that leak to the environment may take years to degrade (e.g. plastics and bio-based alternatives), and as a result, they can cause serious harm to ecosystems and human health (Awasthi et al 2019;Lau et al 2020). Currently, there is a lack of consensus on what constitutes a source (i.e.…”

Section: Natural Environment and Provisioning Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Waste resources are rarely monitored once they cross borders, and as a result, their fate remains unknown. Yet, developed countries account the exported waste resources in their recycling estimations (and thus, circularity targets), whilst it is very likely that these wastes may be mismanaged (i.e., inadequately disposed and littered) contributing to negative value creation elsewhere with often deleterious impacts on ecosystems and human health (Huang et al 2014;Iacovidou et al 2020b;Lau et al 2020). Foreign recyclable waste markets in developing countries tend to have a questionable waste infrastructure and often weaker, less reliable institutions to control the management of waste (Dauvergne 2018;Osibanjo and Nnorom 2007;Schmidt 2006).…”

Section: Natural Environment and Provisioning Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A systems thinking approach to understanding the challenges of achieving the circular economy

Iacovidou

Hahladakis

Purnell

2020

Environ Sci Pollut Res

137

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Circular economy (CE) is extensively discussed around the globe. Presently, discussions are mostly concerned with the importance of achieving CE and the benefits associated therewith, with the various barriers surrounding its implementation being less debated. Understanding the context in which circularity can flourish is a prerequisite in building the capabilities to deal with the multi-faceted challenges that currently hamper progress in closing the material, component and product loops. In this study, we discuss the importance of systems thinking in understanding the way resource recovery systems operate, and in promoting deep transformational change. We suggest that transformational change needs to go beyond closing materials, components and products (MCPs) loops, and promote sustainability in the way resources are exploited, used and managed throughout the system. By adopting a system of systems approach, we postulate that there are five interconnected sub-systems that need to be considered for supporting transitions to CE, namely, resource flows and provisioning service; governance, regulatory framework and political landscape; business activities and the marker; infrastructure and innovation; and user practices. This holistic approach provides a useful means to cutting through systemic complexity, and focuses on the dynamics between processes, values and actors in the value chain, and their dependence on cultural, spatial and temporal characteristics. We conclude that a systems-based approach can build up the capabilities required to identify and understand persistent linear trends and, in turn, support forward-thinking and time investment in enabling sustainable transitions. This, in turn, can help to align priorities and transform our current practices, speeding up the process of closing the MCP loops in a sustainable manner.

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Section: Natural Environment and Provisioning Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Natural Environment and Provisioning Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systems thinking approach to understanding the challenges of achieving the circular economy

Iacovidou

Hahladakis

Purnell

2020

Environ Sci Pollut Res

137

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“…For instance, the 2017 cleanup event showed that the dominated top items collected around the global based on item counts of coastal litter were all made of plastics, which was repeated during the 2018 cleanup event [20]. Meanwhile, a number of studies provide estimates of marine plastic debris [4,21]. As recently reported by Eriksen et al [22], an estimated figure of the volume of plastics floating in the oceans, and found that more than five trillion pieces of plastic and approximately 268,940 tons are currently floating in the oceans.…”

Section: Mpp: Sources Pathways and Estimationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Production, Recycling and Management of Marine Plastic Pollution

Issifu

Sumaila

2020

JMSE

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The human attachment to plastic has intensified recently due to its lightweight, versatility, low-cost and durability and so has the damage to the marine environment as marine plastic pollution has correspondingly increased. As a result, there has been increasing concern on the issue of marine plastic pollution. Policy-based organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme have drawn public attention to the scope, magnitude and impacts of marine pollution in recent decades. Research on marine pollution can play a significant role in contributing to policy-making processes in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on Life Below Water (SDG 14), by providing scientific analysis on the effects and sources of marine plastic pollution. This paper provides a theoretical and empirical overview of marine plastic pollution and its potential effects on marine ecosystems. It also discusses SDGs that are relevant to marine plastic pollution and suggest priorities for further research.

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“…The topic of solid waste mismanagement has attracted considerable attention in recent years, not least because of the large quantities of plastic waste that are reported to enter the aquatic environment (11 million metric tons per annum Mt y -1 ), mainly in the low-and middleincome countries (LIMICs) of South and Southeast Asia. 1 Our high dependence on plastics in almost every aspect of life has resulted in an exponential growth curve for plastic production since the 1950s, anticipated to continue unabated until 2050. 2 Underlying this growth in plastic production, is the rapidly rising population that is projected for several middle-income countries in the Global South, 3 where newly attained prosperity is allowing their citizens to benefit from the properties and characteristics that plastics bring to their lives such as freshness of food, fuel economy of transport systems, and insulating properties in constructions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…are combusted in open, uncontrolled fires (49 Mt y -1 ). 1 For the 2 billion inhabitants of earth that have no solid waste collection, 8 open burning is an effective self-management approach that quickly reduces the mass (up to 75% wt.) and volume (up to 90% v/v.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mismanagement of plastic waste through open burning with emphasis in the Global South: A systematic review of risks to occupational and public health

Velis¹,

Cook²

2020

Preprint

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Large quantities of mismanaged plastic waste threaten the health and wellbeing of billions worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where waste management capacity is being outstripped by increasing levels of consumption and plastic waste generation. One of the main self-management strategies adopted by 2 billion people who have no waste collection service, is to burn their discarded plastic in open, uncontrolled fires. While this strategy provides many benefits, including mass and volume reduction, it also results in the release of chemical substances and particles that may pose serious risks to public health and the environment. We followed PRISMA guidelines to select and review 20 publications that provide evidence on potential harm to human health from open burning plastic waste, arranging evidence into eight groups of substance emissions: brominated flame retardants; phthalates; potentially toxic elements; dioxins and related compounds; bisphenol A; particulate matter; and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We semi-quantitatively assessed 18 hazard-pathway-receptor combination scenarios to provide an indication of the relative harm of these emissions so that they could be ranked, compared and considered in future research agenda. This assessment overwhelmingly indicated high risk of harm to waste pickers, a large group of 11 million informal entrepreneurs who work closely with waste, delivering a circular economy but often without protective equipment or many structured, safe system of work. Though the risk to human health from open burning emissions is high, this remains a substantially under-researched topic.

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Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution

Cited by 1,049 publications

References 86 publications

A systems thinking approach to understanding the challenges of achieving the circular economy

A systems thinking approach to understanding the challenges of achieving the circular economy

A Review of the Production, Recycling and Management of Marine Plastic Pollution

Mismanagement of plastic waste through open burning with emphasis in the Global South: A systematic review of risks to occupational and public health

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