either land or oceans. Community action can include initiatives that can effectively
reduce and eliminate to a reasonable extent the amount of plastic entering the water
bodies such as lakes and oceans. Recycling and reusing plastics is of the prime
importance as it will diminish the production rate. Community awareness about the
adverse effects of water pollution as a result of plastic debris can lead to the local use
of practical mechanisms to stop water pollution caused by plastics such as litter traps
(Haward 2018).
Nongovernmental organizations are playing a vital role in almost all of the
aspects of this planet. There are nongovernmental organizations working for diverse
agendas such as human rights to social justice and liberties. The role of such
organizations is important because they speak, work, and campaign for a single or
multiple closely related causes; therefore, such organizations can work more efficiently to create awareness in the community about the problems. Environmental
organizations have diverse platforms; some work for forests or green revolution
while others are related to anti-pollution works, some save whales in the ocean while
other try to save the ocean itself; hence, we can use these platforms to spread our
message everywhere in less time. Plastic pollution can therefore be stopped effectively by the services the nongovernmental organizations provide us.
3.7.5 Government Policies Regarding the Production,
Regulation, Use, and Disposal of Plastics
New rules and regulations for plastic production can be formed in order to reduce or
control plastic pollution. Policy making bodies can help the national and international organizations to draft new and effective laws to control plastic pollution
(Thompson 2015). The government can ban the use of plastics at beachside and
on cargo ships that may throw garbage in oceans. Similarly, government can impose
tax on plastic products to discourage their use and the same money might be used as
funds and research grants to create more ecofriendly plastics such as bioplastics.
Similarly, new industrial setups that are producing sustainable goods like bioplastics
and biopolymers might be given full or maximum tax exemptions to encourage more
investors in the industry of sustainable products that do not pollute the environment.
There are international protocols and conventions to stop and effectively clean our
environment mostly oceans from plastic debris and pollution. For example, disposal
of plastic-based products or goods by the cargo ships in the oceans is prohibited
under the MARPOL (marine pollution) convention which ensures the prevention of
pollution from ships in exclusive economic zones and the waters which are beyond
national jurisdiction (Haward 2018). Similarly, “The Honolulu Strategy” is a policy
and planning framework for the effective prevention and robust management of
marine debris which include solid waste debris, plastics it furthers ensures to tackle
the environmental problems, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris
around the globe (Löhr et al. 2017). United Nations sustainable development goals
3 Remediation of Water Pollution by Plastics
111
reduce and eliminate to a reasonable extent the amount of plastic entering the water
bodies such as lakes and oceans. Recycling and reusing plastics is of the prime
importance as it will diminish the production rate. Community awareness about the
adverse effects of water pollution as a result of plastic debris can lead to the local use
of practical mechanisms to stop water pollution caused by plastics such as litter traps
(Haward 2018).
Nongovernmental organizations are playing a vital role in almost all of the
aspects of this planet. There are nongovernmental organizations working for diverse
agendas such as human rights to social justice and liberties. The role of such
organizations is important because they speak, work, and campaign for a single or
multiple closely related causes; therefore, such organizations can work more efficiently to create awareness in the community about the problems. Environmental
organizations have diverse platforms; some work for forests or green revolution
while others are related to anti-pollution works, some save whales in the ocean while
other try to save the ocean itself; hence, we can use these platforms to spread our
message everywhere in less time. Plastic pollution can therefore be stopped effectively by the services the nongovernmental organizations provide us.
3.7.5 Government Policies Regarding the Production,
Regulation, Use, and Disposal of Plastics
New rules and regulations for plastic production can be formed in order to reduce or
control plastic pollution. Policy making bodies can help the national and international organizations to draft new and effective laws to control plastic pollution
(Thompson 2015). The government can ban the use of plastics at beachside and
on cargo ships that may throw garbage in oceans. Similarly, government can impose
tax on plastic products to discourage their use and the same money might be used as
funds and research grants to create more ecofriendly plastics such as bioplastics.
Similarly, new industrial setups that are producing sustainable goods like bioplastics
and biopolymers might be given full or maximum tax exemptions to encourage more
investors in the industry of sustainable products that do not pollute the environment.
There are international protocols and conventions to stop and effectively clean our
environment mostly oceans from plastic debris and pollution. For example, disposal
of plastic-based products or goods by the cargo ships in the oceans is prohibited
under the MARPOL (marine pollution) convention which ensures the prevention of
pollution from ships in exclusive economic zones and the waters which are beyond
national jurisdiction (Haward 2018). Similarly, “The Honolulu Strategy” is a policy
and planning framework for the effective prevention and robust management of
marine debris which include solid waste debris, plastics it furthers ensures to tackle
the environmental problems, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris
around the globe (Löhr et al. 2017). United Nations sustainable development goals
3 Remediation of Water Pollution by Plastics
111