A study on transnational regulatory governance for marine plastic debris: Trends, challenges, and prospect

Abstract

It estimated that 8–10 million tonnes (Mt) of plastic waste reaches oceans via various pathways every year. 80%–90% has come from land-based sources, and that number is projected to double by 2030 and double again by 2050. The marine plastic debris (MPD) has thus become one of the emerging global environmental and public health problems drawing enormous international attention recently. This article observes that international agreements do not provide sufficient and proper governance mechanisms to address plastic marine debris problems specifically. In preventing the MPD from land-based sources, a well-designed waste management legal and institutional framework with effective implementation shall be established.In this regard, Part I first explores the main features, challenges, and effectiveness of existing international legal norms aims at marine pollution prevention. In Part II, the effectiveness of the plastic waste management legal and policy framework adopted at the international level will be evaluated and critically discussed. Part III explores the critical role of national waste management by reducing the marine litter of plastic waste. A case study for Taiwan's efforts in recovering and recycling plastic waste by establishing a comprehensive waste management framework and effective plastic reduction measures implemented in Taiwan. It is worth to explore Taiwan's waste management law and policy framework and its implementation experience partially because Taiwan's experience could provide some lessons for emerging industrial countries to reduce and to dispose of plastic waste effectively. This article finds that the key to address MPD relies on effective plastic waste management globally. Part IV provides some findings and suggestions for future legal and policy development in the context of international and domestic law and policy framework. It is, however, that the ideal regulatory governance scheme to effectively addressing the issue of MPD shall adopt multiple level governance and cooperative actions involving all stakeholders.