a b c d Mbachu, O., Jenkins, G., Kaparaju, P., & Pratt, C. (2021). The rise of artificial soil carbon inputs: Reviewing microplastic pollution effects in the soil environment. Science of the Total Environment, 780, 146569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146569 In 2009, the District of Columbia required all businesses that sell food or alcohol to charge an additional 5 cents for each carryout plastic or paper bag. [264]

In 2015 the European Union adopted a directive requiring a reduction in the consumption of single use plastic bags per person to 90 by 2019 and to 40 by 2025. [228] In April 2019, the EU adopted a further directive banning almost all types of single use plastic, except bottles, from the beginning of the year 2021. [229] [230] Also worth noting is the evolution of new enzymes allowing microorganisms living in polluted locations to digest normal, hard-to-degrade plastic. [7] An 2021 study looking for homologs of 95 known plastic-degrading enzymes spanning 17 plastic types found a further 30,000 possible enzymes. Despite their apparent ubiquity, there is no current evidence that these novel enzymes are breaking down any meaningful amount of plastic to reduce pollution. [147] Incineration Efforts to reduce the use of plastics, to promote plastic recycling and to reduce mismanaged plastic waste or plastic pollution have occurred or are ongoing. The first scientific review in the professional academic literature about global plastic pollution in general found that the rational response to the "global threat" would be "reductions in consumption of virgin plastic materials, along with internationally coordinated strategies for waste management" – such as banning export of plastic waste unless it leads to better recycling – and describes the state of knowledge about "poorly reversible" impacts which are one of the rationales for its reduction. [135] [136] Yang, J., Li, L., Li, R., Xu, L., Shen, Y., Li, S., Tu, C., Wu, L., Christie, P., & Luo, Y. (2021). Microplastics in an agricultural soil following repeated application of three types of sewage sludge: A field study. Environmental Pollution, 289, 117943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117943 Effect on flooding Volunteers clearing gutters in Ilorin, Nigeria during a volunteer sanitation day. Even when there is adequate infrastructure for sanitation, plastic pollution can prevent drainage and impede sewage flow.In 2019, the group Break Free From Plastic organized over 70,000 volunteers in 51 countries to collect and identify plastic waste. These volunteers collected over "59,000 plastic bags, 53,000 sachets and 29,000 plastic bottles," as reported by The Guardian. Nearly half of the items were identifiable by consumer brands. The most common brands were Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Pepsico. [50] [51] According to the global campaign coordinator for the project Emma Priestland in 2020, the only way to solve the problem is stopping production of single use plastic and using reusable products instead. [52] [53] China is the biggest consumer of single-use plastics. [54] UN Environment Programme, 12 May 2019 "Governments Agree Landmark Decisions to Protect People and Planet from Hazardous Chemicals and Waste, Including Plastic Waste"

Plastic in Our Oceans Is Killing Marine Mammals". WWF. 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021 . Retrieved 14 December 2021. May, Tiffany (7 October 2020). "Hidden Beneath the Ocean's Surface, Nearly 16 Million Tons of Microplastic". The New York Times . Retrieved 30 November 2020. Oyster shells are sustainable - don't rely on GMOs, deforestation, competition with human food production or chemicals (e.g. fertilisers, pesticides, etc) or fossil fuel guzzling machinery

What is plastic pollution?

So what happens to compostable or biodegradable plastic in landfill? We were horrified to learn that not only would they potentially take years (possibly centuries) to breakdown in landfill, they would also produce methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. When we spoke with Dr Carly Fletcher, a Bioplastics researcher from Manchester Metropolitan University, Dr Fletcher advised the difference between plastic and compostable/biodegradable plastic in incineration was likely negligible. However we found one study showing PBAT (the main ingredient in compostable and biodegradable poo bags) releases significantly more carcinogens than standard plastic when incinerated. So what are the options, considering the above?

Mismanaged plastic waste leads to plastic directly or indirectly entering terrestrial ecosystems. [95] There has been a significant increase of microplastic pollution due to the poor handling and disposal of plastic materials. [96] In particular, plastic pollution in the form of microplastics now can be found extensively in soil. It enters the soil by settling on the surface and eventually making its way into subsoils. [97] These microplastics find their way into plants and animals. [98] Hospitality businesses have made huge strides in reducing their plastic usage and that progress has resulted in the vast majority of venues already eliminating single-use cutlery from their operations, a crucial part of our ambitions to reach net zero. Ana, Silva (2021). "Increased Plastic Pollution Due to Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Recommendations". Chemical Engineering Journal. 405: 126683. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.126683. PMC 7430241. PMID 32834764. Barrett, Justine; Chase, Zanna; Zhang, Jing; Holl, Mark M. Banaszak; Willis, Kathryn; Williams, Alan; Hardesty, Britta D.; Wilcox, Chris (2020). "Microplastic Pollution in Deep-Sea Sediments From the Great Australian Bight". Frontiers in Marine Science. 7. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.576170. ISSN 2296-7745. S2CID 222125532. Available under CC BY 4.0. Pepsico responded that they want to decrease "virgin plastic in our beverage business by 35% by 2025" and also expanding reuse and refill practices what should prevent 67 billion single use bottles by 2025. [56] Major plastic waste generator and polluter countries Share of plastic waste that is inadequately managed Per capita mismanaged plastic waste (in kilograms per person per day) Plastic waste generationa b Nomadic, Global (29 February 2016). "Turning rubbish into money – environmental innovation leads the way". In 2022, countries agreed to devise a Global plastic pollution treaty by 2024. [172] [173] Waste import bans But you're a responsible dog owner who wants to do what they can for the environment and you realise that your poo bag usage is a big contributor to your dog's environmental pawprint. a b "The known unknowns of plastic pollution". The Economist. 3 March 2018 . Retrieved 17 June 2018. a b "Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution: Nations commit to develop a legally binding agreement". UN Environment Programme (UNEP). 2 March 2022 . Retrieved 11 March 2022.