Terrestrial fugitive plastic packaging: the blind spot in resolving plastic pollution

Abstract

An opinion piece highlighting the role plastic packaging, particularly single-use commodity packaging, contributes to global plastic pollution. The article specially unpacks the quantities found on land in comparison to those found in the marine environment. While land-based plastic pollution is approximately three times bigger in terms of scale, the article notes that current research and development and policy strategies are solely focused upon marine-based pollution. The article seeks to address this by proposing strategies to readdress the balance in attention and to engage academia, government and the public in a polyvalent effort towards resolving the ecological damage being caused to our environment.