How do countries limit disposable plastics and microplastics

Recently, the United Nations issued a report on “Legal Limitations of Disposable Plastics and Microplastics: A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations”. The report surveyed 192 countries around the world, 127 of which enacted some form of national laws and regulations that restrict disposable plastics and microplastics, and 65 countries do not have restrictions on disposable plastics and microplastics.

These laws and regulations include bans, taxation and waste management measures to enhance disposal, encourage reuse and recycling, and promote alternatives to plastic products.

The report is divided into three parts: 1) plastic bags, 2) other disposable plastics,3) plastic beads.

Plastic bag

As of July 2018, 127 of the 192 countries surveyed (about 66%) had adopted some form of law to regulate plastic bags. The first regulatory measures specifically for plastic bags were promulgated in the early 2000s and have increased over the past decade.

To date, only 27 countries have taxed the manufacture and production of plastic bags, while 30 countries charge consumers for plastic bags.

Forty-three countries included legislation on the extended responsibility of producers associated with plastic bags.

Disposable plastic

Twenty-seven countries have enacted some form of disposable plastic ban – either for specific products (such as plates, cups, straws, packaging) and materials.

These bans are not "all". In other words, there are exceptions to certain products or materials, such as so-called biodegradable plastics.

Small island countries are more likely to issue a one-time plastic ban – 37% (10 countries) of national bans come from these countries.

Twenty-nine countries have enacted certain types of taxes on disposable plastics, either as a special environmental tax, waste treatment fee or charge, or as a higher consumption tax on disposable plastics.

63 countries have promulgated Producer Extended Responsibility (EPR) measures such as product recycling programs, deposit refunds, and waste collection and recycling guarantees.

Plastic beads

As of July 2018, 8 of the world's 192 countries (4%) have established legally binding microbead bans through national laws or regulations. These countries are Canada, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The laws and regulations used to control microbeads have many similarities in the definition of microbeads, the type of product covered, and the size of the bead to be controlled; however, there are important differences.

As of July 2018, four countries – Belgium, Brazil, India and Ireland – have proposed to ban microbeads at the national level. The European Union has also begun to limit the process of intentionally adding microplastics to consumers and professional use products.

The United Nations aims to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the scope and types of regulatory approaches that policy makers use to address plastic pollution. However, it does not assess the effectiveness of the enforcement or enforcement of these measures. It also does not fully assess actions at the subnational level, although it provides some elements of the measures being taken by states and cities.