Addressing marine plastics: A systemic approach Recommendations for action

Abstract

Addressing marine plastic pollution is an urgent action, considering the rising levels of plastics in the environment and the impacts to coastal and marine ecosystems. The problem of plastic pollution is crossboundary and cross-cutting, and it requires systemic solutions covering policy, technology, management, financing, knowledge and research, awareness raising and behaviour change. The Ministerial Declaration and resolutions of the United Nations Environment Assembly at its Fourth Session (UNEA-4) reinforce this understanding.1 Building on the findings from two previous reports on stocktaking of the global plastic value chain and existing actions, this report identifies gaps to address marine plastics at each value chain stage, and finally recommends actions to achieve a circular economy for plastics at the global level.