Research Handbook on Plastics Regulation

Edited by Elizabeth A. Kirk, Professor Emerita, School of Law, University of Lincoln, UK, Naporn Popattanachai, School of Law, University of Galway, Ireland, Richard Barnes, School of Law, University of Lincoln, UK and Faculty of Law, Norwegian Centre for the Law of Sea, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Eva R. van der Marel, Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea, Faculty of Law, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

• Contents1 An introduction to plastics regulation: law, policy and the environment 1Elizabeth A Kirk, Naporn Popattanachai, Richard Barnes and Eva R van derMarelPART I PLASTICS IN THE WIDER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT2 Plastics and (the right to) health 17Graham Hamley and Stephanie Switzer3 Breaking the plastics–food connection: challenges and opportunities 38Elizabeth A. Kirk4 Plastics and petroleum 59Tina Soliman HunterPART II THE REGULATION OF PLASTICS IN OTHER LEGAL REGIMES5 Considering the plastics problem from an Earth system (law) perspective 80Louise du Toit6 Plastics and biodiversity 101Edward Goodwin7 Law of the sea in the ‘Plasticene’ 122Karen N. Scott8 Plastics regulation and international trade 145Eva R. van der Marel9 The role of patent law in promoting sustainability transitions with plastics 167Rosa Maria Ballardini and Juha VesalaPART III THE REGULATION OF PLASTICS IN REGIONAL ANDDOMESTIC LEGAL SYSTEMS10 The European Union and plastics 187Tiina Paloniitty and Tellervo Ala-Lahti11 International regulation of marine plastic litter in the North-East Atlantic 208Yoshifumi Tanaka12 Governance of plastics in the Arctic 229Sarah E. Mackie and Kamrul Hossain13 Oceania and plastics 248Karen Raubenheimer14 The regulation of plastics and plastic waste in Africa 273Hennie Strydom15 The regulation of plastics and plastics waste in Kenya 292Gerphas Opondo16 Applying the precautionary principle in dealing with the legalchallenges of plastic pollution in the Philippines 312Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio17 Legal issues regarding plastic pollution control in China 330Yen-Chiang Chang, Kangjie Sun and Yu Wang18 The opening of the single-use plastics policy window in the UnitedKingdom: societal interest and corporate action align 354Laurel BescoPART IV THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF REGULATION AND PLASTICS19 Plastics and the circular economy 375Richard Barnes20 Plastics, products and life-cycle thinking in the European Union 398Rosalind Malcolm and Alexandra Mikheeva-Ashe

‘The Research Handbook on Plastics Regulation: Law, Policy and the Environment addresses an important topic. The collected studies provide a comprehensive overview of some of the most pressing issues related to plastics regulation. The Research Handbook is well worth reading and serves as a useful reference for officials, policy-makers, and individuals involved in the regulation of plastics.’