Current plastic policymaking approaches have little effect on the global plastic pollution crisis. These are the conclusions of the University of Portsmouth's Global Plastic Policy Centre, which recently analysed the effectiveness of 100 plastic policies.
Although plastics are versatile materials, the evidence of the harm they can do is mounting. For example, plastics are found in the stomachs of multiple different species of animals, and their chemical components, which can often be harmful, inside organs. Recently, researchers detected microplastics in human breast milk for the first time. These and other environmental and human health concerns have prompted the proliferation of plastic policies.
The researchers defined a plastic policy ‘as any action taken by government, private businesses, charitable organisations, and interest groups in response to the plastic pollution problem’.
It may seem surprising to include non-governmental actors in a policy review, but as Antaya March, Senior Research Associate with the University of Portsmouth, explains, "as much as governments are essential, there are these other actors with their own initiatives that have a critical role to play in addressing this problem."
The researchers assessed the extent to which a policy reduced plastics entering the environment and the factors contributing to a policy's effectiveness. They found most policies lacked specific time-bound quantitative or qualitative targets or included plans to monitor policy effectiveness.
"If we don't know what's working, what are we putting policies in place based on?" March asks.
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