Building a comprehensive framework to tackle plastic pollution in the marine environment - A case study on the Arctic

Abstract

This thesis evaluates to what extent the international legal framework for plastic pollution caters for the Arctic specifics. Plastic pollution is an increasing issue in the world oceans. Since the 1930s and 1940s plastic has been used ever more through packaging and other applications. Several elements corroborate that statement. First, by focusing on the actual state of industrial plastic production. According to Plastics Europe, 400 million tonnes of plastic were produced in 2022, six million tonnes more than in 2021. However, these data alone are not adequate to show to what extent this issue is of a great concern for all mankind. One of the current problems is the quantity of plastic that ends up in the oceans. Every year, more than eight million tonnes of plastic waste are discharged into the ocean. Following this trend, some studies have predicted that in 2050s there will be more plastic than fish, by weight, in the oceans.