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Reducing Marine Plastic Pollution: Policy Insights from Economics

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  • Joshua K Abbott
  • U Rashid Sumaila

Abstract

Marine plastic pollution is heavily driven by escaped plastic waste from land. Effectively reducing flows of plastic pollution into the oceans requires incentivizing efficient disposal decisions, discouraging production and consumption of products with low recyclability and reuse potential, and encouraging lower-impact, easily recyclable product and packaging designs. We examine the economic literature on waste management and integrated environmental policy to assess how particular policies target these individual pathways and can efficiently reduce flows of plastics into waterways. These policies include production/retail bans and standards, extended producer responsibility, price-based policies such as advance disposal fees and two-part instruments, and interventions grounded in behavioral economics and psychology. We also consider the applicability of these policies in coastal developing nations that often rely upon the informal sector for waste management services. We conclude by identifying important issues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua K Abbott & U Rashid Sumaila, 2019. "Reducing Marine Plastic Pollution: Policy Insights from Economics," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 13(2), pages 327-336.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:renvpo:v:13:y:2019:i:2:p:327-336.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/reep/rez007
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    Cited by:

    1. Duc-Nam Luu & Magali Barbaroux & Gaelle Dorez & Katell Mignot & Estelle Doger & Achille Laurent & Jean-Michel Brossard & Claus-Jürgen Maier, 2022. "Recycling of Post-Use Bioprocessing Plastic Containers—Mechanical Recycling Technical Feasibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Tobias Börger & Nick Hanley & Robert J. Johnston & Keila Meginnis & Tom Ndebele & Ghamz E. Ali Siyal & Frans de Vries, 2024. "Equity preferences and abatement cost sharing in international environmental agreements," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 416-441, January.
    3. Victor Virimai Mugobo & Herbert Ntuli, 2022. "Consumer Preference for Attributes of Single-Use and Multi-Use Plastic Shopping Bags in Cape Town: A Choice Experiment Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-25, August.
    4. Grilli, Gaetano & Andrews, Barnaby & Ferrini, Silvia & Luisetti, Tiziana, 2022. "Could a mix of short- and long-term policies be the solution to tackle marine litter? Insights from a choice experiment in England and Ireland," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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