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1. Introduction

1.1. Background

The production and use of plastics has increased exponentially since the 1950s (OECD, 2022a). The stability of plastic materials, in combination with inadequate waste management and other losses to the environment, have caused a global environmental problem. Today, plastic particles have been found all over the globe, including polar regions and the deep sea (MacLeod et al., 2021). Consequently, plastic pollution is addressed at many geographical scales, from the local to the global level.
The United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has adopted five resolutions to combat global plastic pollution (Box 1). In March 2022, UNEA endorsed the resolution to end plastic pollution, through a legally binding agreement to be developed until 2024. The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, including production, use and waste management (UNEP, 2022a).
Attempts to solve the plastic problem need reliable measurements of the type and extent of plastic pollution. Given the variety of plastic materials and uses, indicators have been developed that can represent different parts of the plastic lifecycle. Plastic as an environmental pollutant is particularly complex, covering different polymer types, shapes and size classes that can range from nanoparticles to large items such as fishing gear. Given the number of groups and organizations addressing plastic pollution, various indicators are currently in use.

Box 1: UNEA resolutions on marine litter

UNEA 1: Agreeing on the global emerging threat (2014)
UNEA 2: Identifying knowledge gaps (2016)
UNEA 3: Recognizing the inefficient global governance (2017)
UNEA 4: Strengthening coordination and knowledge (2019)
UNEA 5: End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument (2022)

1.2. Objectives

The objectives of this project were as follows:
  • Provide an overview of existing indicators for plastic pollution, including existing databases
  • Analyse strengths and weaknesses of the indicators and assess what sources of plastic pollution and which ecosystem compartments are covered best by existing indicators
  • Identify and analyse gaps of the existing indicators (and those under development) for the leakage of plastics along the value chain, i.e. from plastic production to its disposal as waste, and for the lifespan of plastics
  • Provide recommendations for possible indicators at the global scale and further development of existing indicators needed to effectively report and monitor the leakage of plastics to the environment and their presence in the environment. This should also include indicators representing relevant stages of plastic losses in the plastic lifecycle.
  • Assess the most cost-efficient and robust indicators, with a view to establish time-series at the global scale.
  • Provide priority indicators for a global agreement on plastics pollution
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