Our Plastic Problem

Abstract

Like climate change, plastic pollution has garnered the attention of public and private officials, as well as nations and individuals. This article describes the various responses to plastic pollution that have occurred in the absence of federal government intervention. Local bans, private regulation, educational campaigns, international agreements, institutional pledges, and industrial design are discussed as part of the multimodal approach “filling the gap” in the absence of traditional regulation.

Keywords: plastic pollution, single-use plastic, straw bans, plastic bag bans, nudges, bioplastics, private environmental regulation, local bans, private regulation, educational campaigns, international agreements, institutional pledges, industrial design, cradle-to-cradle, circular design