Cleaning up without messing up: maximizing the benefits of plastic clean-up technologies through new regulatory approaches by Hanna Dijkstra and others.
Key findings:
- Plastic is the main constituent of anthropogenic litter on British beaches and the majority of traceable items originate from land-based sources, such as public littering.
- The implementation of plastic clean-up technologies should be regulated to secure their net benefits and to avoid unintended negative consequences.
- Currently negotiated global plastic treaty should include language and guidance on ensuring clean-ups of existing plastics in an environmentally sound manner.
Falk-Andersson, J., Rognerud, I., De Frond, H., Leone, G., Karasik, R., Diana, Z., ... & Fürst, K. (2023). Cleaning up without messing up: maximizing the benefits of plastic clean-up technologies through new regulatory approaches. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(36), 13304-13312 [link]
In the business of dirty oceans: Overview of startups and entrepreneurs managing marine plastic by Hanna Dijkstra, Pieter van Beukering, and Roy Brouwer
Key findings:
- Managing plastic pollution will not depend on a ‘silver bullet’ solution but instead on advances on multiple fronts, gradually and experimentally working towards more sustainable plastic management.
- Through innovative business models, small businesses are successfully commercializing goods and services to reduce the damage of plastics on the marine environment.
- Numerous accelerators, incubators, grants and innovation awards have been dedicated to the issue of marine plastic pollution, yet, efforts are still underdeveloped in many areas, including microplastic management and monitoring.
Dijkstra, H., van Beukering, P., & Brouwer, R. (2021). In the business of dirty oceans: Overview of startups and entrepreneurs managing marine plastic. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 162, 111880 [link]
Assessing the performance of marine plastics cleanup technologies in Europe and North America by Roy Brouwer, Hanna Dijkstra, Pieter van Beukering, and others.
Key findings:
- Preventing floatable plastics from entering the water through drainage systems is a much cheaper solution than trying to capture and remove them afterwards. Beach cleanup is also a relatively cheaper solution.
- Mobile skimmers and dredgers are the most cost-effective technologies to remove plastic litter from water.
- Local policy and decision-maker input is indispensable in determining the most effective technologies to implement.
Brouwer, R., Huang, Y., Huizenga, T., Frantzi, S., Le, T., Sandler, J., ... & Piazza, V. (2023). Assessing the performance of marine plastics cleanup technologies in Europe and North America. Ocean & Coastal Management, 238, 106555 [link]
Shipping spills and plastic pollution: A review of maritime governance in the North Sea by Pieter van Beukering and others.
Key takeaways:
- Maritime governance is mainly reliant on global agreements, the enforcement is done via national and local governments, and the private sector is experiencing an increased pressure from all the governance levels, the nature of the trade, and from civil society.
- 13.3% of worldwide spills, including oil and container spills, and 39% of reported container loss cases occurred in or near the North Sea. Fragmented jurisdiction, frail policies, lack of international measures and regulations on shipping routes all contribute to deflecting responsibility and hindering accountability in the shipping sector.
- Recommendations are based on precautionary principle, ecosystem approach, and polluter pays principle. There is a need for stricter fines, sanctions or penalties for unreported spills or container loss, and increased liability limits. At the same time, participatory processes inclusive of civil society ought to be developed.
- The translation of the North Sea Conferences Principles into concrete policies on container loss and a more defined accountability regime could ensure the protection of the North Sea, and the oceans, against plastic pollution.
Saliba, M., Frantzi, S., & van Beukering, P. (2022). Shipping spills and plastic pollution: A review of maritime governance in the North Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 181, 1-22 [link]