A Safe(r) Circular Economy for Plastics in the Pacific Region

Abstract

Plastics pollution, including marine litter; is a global social, economic, and environmental emergency requiring urgent attention. Plastics are produced from fossil fuels, and once released into the environment, they never disappear. Instead, they degrade into physical and chemical forms, leading to the contamination of all biophysical systems. If we carry on business-as-usual this will culminate to 1.1 billion tonnes having entered the world’s oceans by 2030