Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle

Tobias D. Nielsen; Jacob Hasselbalch; Karl Holmberg; Johannes Stripple

doi:10.1002/wene.360

journal article Open Access Aug 08, 2019

Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle

Tobias D. Nielsen Jacob Hasselbalch

Karl Holmberg

Johannes Stripple

WIREs Energy and Environment Vol. 9 No. 1 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/wene.360

Abstract

AbstractThis article surveys the politics of plastics through a reading and analysis of more than 180 scientific articles in the fields of environmental science and environmental studies. Despite the many benefits of plastics, the global plastic system is increasingly being recognized as the source of severe environmental problems. Rather than orient the investigation around specific venues, levels, or architectures of governance, our survey first follows plastic through its life cycle, and then considers the major categories of plastic objects addressed in the current literature, and the different approaches taken to each category. The politics of plastics is a growing field of inquiry, with the most rapid expansion in the areas of marine pollution and microplastics. Our consideration of plastic flows reveals increasing politicization towards the latter end of the life cycle, that is, plastic as waste and pollution. Turning to plastic objects, we observe different forms of mobilization, and varying connections between flows and objects, which allow for multiple interpretations of what is at stake. In the closing section, we consider two recent trends in the plastic governance discussion that take a more holistic view of the plastic crisis: attempts to construct (a) a circular plastics economy and (b) global plastics conventions or treaties. We end the paper by highlighting the need for studies to further investigate the norms and practices that maintain the role of plastics in society, as well as the political and economic arrangements that secure its overabundance and low price.This article is categorized under:
Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and Policy
Fossil Fuels > Science and Materials
Fossil Fuels > Climate and Environment

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284

Citations

132

References

Details

Published: Aug 08, 2019
Vol/Issue: 9(1)
License: View

Authors

T

Tobias D. Nielsen

Department of Political Science Lund University Lund Sweden

J

Jacob Hasselbalch

Department of Political Science Lund University Lund Sweden

K

Karl Holmberg

Department of Political Science Lund University Lund Sweden

J

Johannes Stripple

Department of Political Science Lund University Lund Sweden

Funding

H2020 Environment Award: 730053

Stiftelsen för Miljöstrategisk Forskning Award: No. 2016/1489

Cite This Article

Tobias D. Nielsen, Jacob Hasselbalch, Karl Holmberg, et al. (2019). Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle. WIREs Energy and Environment, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.360

Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle

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