Global push for reuse stalls as fragmented policies hold back progress of tackling plastic pollution, new report finds

Reuse systems, as a model to reduce plastic pollution, are beginning to emerge across the world but remain constrained by fragmented policies, weak financial incentives and gaps in infrastructure, according to a trio of new reports released today.  The research, launched by the Global Plastics Policy Centre at the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth, provides the first comparative analysis of reuse policy across Europe, South America and Southeast Asia.   Drawing on multi-year policy analysis, stakeholder interviews and comparative research, the reports examine how governments are supporting reuse and what must happen next for systems to…

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UK is falling behind international efforts as microplastics infiltrate food, bodies, and ecosystems

Researchers warn the UK is falling behind international efforts as microplastics infiltrate food, bodies, and ecosystems The UK government must urgently draw up a comprehensive national strategy to tackle microplastic pollution or risk falling further behind international efforts to address one of the most pervasive environmental threats of our time, researchers have warned. A new policy brief, delivered to MPs earlier this  month by the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre, outlines the growing scale of the crisis and calls for a coordinated UK roadmap with clear targets and…

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