Global plastic waste exports and the implications for continued microplastic pollution: toward a science policy interface for sustainable futures

Semeena, Valiyaveetil Shamsudheen; Harrison, Sam; Ezani, Eliani; Wong, Pui Yi; Brooks, Sarah D.; Rao, Molla Nageswar; Ghude, Sachin D.; Hayman, Garry; Cross, Richard Kynaston

NORA

Global plastic waste exports and the implications for continued microplastic pollution: toward a science policy interface for sustainable futures

Semeena, Valiyaveetil Shamsudheen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1895-449X; Harrison, Sam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8491-4720; Ezani, Eliani; Wong, Pui Yi; Brooks, Sarah D.; Rao, Molla Nageswar; Ghude, Sachin D.; Hayman, Garry ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3825-4156; Cross, Richard Kynaston ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5409-6552. 2026 Global plastic waste exports and the implications for continued microplastic pollution: toward a science policy interface for sustainable futures. npj Emerging Contaminants, 2, 34. 17, pp. 10.1038/s44454-026-00047-z

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Abstract

This study examines how the global plastic waste trade amplifies microplastic pollution through informal recycling, dumping, and burning in importing regions with limited waste management capacity. Synthesising evidence across aquatic, terrestrial, atmospheric, and human exposure pathways, we show that transboundary plastic waste redistribution contributes to environmental inequality and increased pollution risks. We further propose a science–policy framework linking waste trade governance, monitoring, and microplastic mitigation strategies.

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