On the Challenge of Plastic Wastes and Litter in Oceans: Some Policy Reflections

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Nayak, Shailesh^{; *}

Affiliations: National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, India

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: shailesh@nias.res.in.

Abstract: The increasing pollution in oceans, especially of the plastics litter, has degraded health of the oceans in many parts of the world. As plastic degrade very slowly, its accumulation in oceans expected to rise exponentially in coming decades and critically affect marine ecosystems, ocean fauna and humans. Microplastics, generated due to mechanical breakdown of plastic waste, is particularly affecting the pelagic ecosystems and can even alter them. It is necessary to generate and update scientific knowledge about production, transport, sinks of plastics and their impacts, develop innovative approaches to manage plastic waste, and bringing awareness about effects of plastic pollution to communities. The issue of plastic pollution needs be tackled at local as well as regional levels through effective policy and multi-national cooperation.

Keywords: Marine plastics, microplastics, ecosystem impacts, waste management, communication.

DOI: 10.3233/EPL-210048

Journal: Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 235-238, 2021