Social sciences

Without a Debate on Sufficiency, a Circular Plastics Economy will Remain an Illusion

This opinion paper reflects on key issues currently under discussion regarding the implementation of a circular plastics economy. To do so, the paper covers issues raised at the 2021 edition of the Tutzing Symposion, an annual event organized by DECHEMA, the German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. These issues include renewable feedstock, life cycle assessments, chemical recycling, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and the allocation of responsibilities to curb plastic pollution.

Plastic waste prevention at the municipal level

The discussion about plastic waste is anything but new for German municipalities. In fact, as early as the 1980s, numerous German municipalities were experimenting with plastic waste prevention regulations and waste prevention in general. A further impetus for plastic waste prevention was provided in the early 1990s with the discussions on the introduction of a nationwide packaging ordinance.

Shaping EU Plastic Policies: The Role of Public Health vs. Environmental Arguments

This article by Ecologic Institute's Linda Mederake and Doris Knoblauch uses a structuring qualitative content analysis to investigate the parliamentary debates of two recently adopted plastic policies in the EU – namely the EU Plastics Strategy and the Single-Use Plastics Directive – and assess the relevance of public health and environmental arguments for the EU debate.

InRePlast

Environmental Policy Instruments to Reduce Plastic Pollution of Inland Waters through Drainage Systems
January 2019
December 2021

The project aimed to make a significant, transdisciplinary contribution to applied research on the prevention of plastic discharges into water bodies via drainage systems from a behavioural and environmental economics perspective.

Website
www.inreplast.de
Project sheet
Project-sheet-InRePlast-2019.pdf
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