Plastics waste litter in oceans as a driving force for regulations plastics

Abstract

The paper covers regulatory issues of plastics triggered by the growing pollution of marine environment by plastics. In the European Union plastics have earned a special attention as one of the five critical areas of Circular Economy legislative package. The European legislative initiatives on plastics including Strategy on Plastics and Single Use Plastics Directive are described in more detail. This global problem starts to be also treated globally, e.g. by regulatory activity of sea conventions (Helcom, Ospar a.o.), UN agencies (UNEP, UNEA).