UNEP would like to thank the World Resources Institute, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University and the University of Strathclyde for their invaluable assistance with the collation of these laws, as well as its long-standing partner FAOLEX.

 

Filter by:

Country

Return results that match any of the selected countries.
  • Antigua and Barbuda (1)
  • Australia (3)
  • Bhutan (2)
  • Cameroon (2)
  • Canada (3)
  • Chile (3)
  • China (3)
  • Colombia (6)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo (1)
  • Dominica (2)
  • Ecuador (6)
  • Estonia (1)
  • European Union (6)
  • Fiji (2)
  • France (1)
  • Gabon (2)
  • Gambia (1)
  • Georgia (1)
  • Greece (1)
  • Guyana (1)
  • India (1)
  • Indonesia (1)
  • Ireland (3)
  • Israel (2)
  • Jamaica (2)
  • Kenya (4)
  • Mali (1)
  • Malta (1)
  • Marshall Islands (2)
  • Mauritania (2)
  • Mauritius (6)
  • Mozambique (1)
  • Namibia (4)
  • Netherlands (1)
  • Nigeria (8)
  • North Macedonia (1)
  • Pakistan (2)
  • Panama (1)
  • Paraguay (3)
  • Peru (6)
  • Philippines (3)
  • Portugal (1)
  • Russian Federation (1)
  • Rwanda (5)
  • Saint Lucia (1)
  • Samoa (1)
  • Senegal (2)
  • Seychelles (2)
  • Sierra Leone (2)
  • Somalia (2)
  • South Africa (5)
  • Spain (2)
  • Timor-Leste (1)
  • Tonga (1)
  • Trinidad and Tobago (1)
  • Tuvalu (2)
  • Uganda (3)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (7)
  • United Republic of Tanzania (4)
  • United States of America (24)
  • Uruguay (2)
  • Vanuatu (1)
  • Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of (1)
  • Viet Nam (1)
  • Zambia (3)
  • Zimbabwe (2)

Regulatory Approach

  • Bans and restrictions
  • Economic instruments (taxes, levies, subsidies)
  • Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
  • Product standards, certification and labelling requirements
  • Waste management legislation
  • Combined actions
  • Other actions

Year

Law and Plastics Taxonomy

  • Compliance and enforcement (188)
    • Enforcement (180)
    • Verification of compliance (29)
  • Emissions and releases (72)
    • Impacts (7)
    • Littering (18)
    • Marine litter (41)
      • Marine plastic litter (5)
    • Maritime sources (5)
    • Pollutants (2)
    • Pollution of the marine environment (15)
  • Plastic materials and production (156)
    • Microplastics (23)
      • Primary microplastics (8)
        • Microbeads (8)
    • Monomers (1)
    • Plastic polymers (139)
      • Synthetic polymers (88)
        • Polyethylene terephthalate (27)
        • Polyolefins (53)
          • Polyethylene (33)
          • Polypropylene (36)
        • Polystyrene (60)
          • Styrofoam (2)
        • Polyvinyl chloride (4)
    • Plastics (4)
  • Plastics types (25)
    • Bioplastics (3)
    • Oxo-degradable plastics (23)
    • Thermoplastics (2)
  • Policy approaches (247)
    • Circular economy (26)
    • Economic instruments (124)
      • Deposit-refund schemes (24)
      • Fines (28)
      • Fiscal incentives (24)
        • Subsidies (1)
      • Taxes (53)
        • Levies (43)
    • Extended Producer Responsibility (70)
    • Just transition (3)
    • Life-cycle approach (19)
      • Life-cycle assessment (8)
      • Life cycle (1)
    • Product bans (75)
      • Plastic bag bans (2)
    • Regulatory impact assessments (1)
  • Problematic and avoidable plastic products (292)
    • Exempted products (9)
    • Short-lived plastic products (290)
      • Plastic packaging (262)
        • Plastic carrier bags (195)
          • Lightweight plastic carrier bags (8)
          • Very lightweight plastic carrier bags (39)
        • Plastic containers (5)
          • Plastic beverage containers (4)
          • Plastic food containers (1)
        • Plastic sheets (1)
        • Recyclable packaging (57)
        • Reusable packaging (45)
      • Single-use plastic products (112)
        • Disposable cups (1)
        • Personal protective equipment (2)
        • Plastic straws (12)
        • Plastic utensils (2)
  • Product design, composition and performance (177)
    • Alternative plastics and plastic products (109)
      • Bio-based plastics (1)
      • Biodegradable plastics (92)
        • Compostable plastics (53)
    • Product design and performance (81)
      • Certification (37)
      • Labelling (51)
      • Recyclability (1)
      • Thickness (2)
    • Product standardization (22)
      • Product design standards (13)
        • Design for recycling (1)
        • Eco-design (3)
  • Stakeholder engagement (35)
    • Consultations (6)
    • Waste pickers (9)
  • Waste management (561)
    • Dumping (5)
      • Ocean dumping (1)
      • Open dumping (1)
    • Environmentally sound waste management (1)
    • Fishing gear (6)
    • Integrated coastal zone management (8)
    • Transboundary movement of plastic waste (9)
      • Waste export (9)
    • Waste (418)
      • Domestic waste (43)
      • Hazardous waste (154)
        • Toxic waste (23)
      • Medical waste (14)
      • Organic waste (1)
      • Plastic waste (260)
      • Solid waste (1)
    • Waste collection (59)
    • Waste disposal (131)
    • Waste management facilities (4)
      • Disposal facilities (1)
    • Waste management hierarchy (160)
    • Waste management plans (2)
    • Waste minimization (6)
      • Reuse (4)
    • Waste prevention (64)
    • Waste streams (1)
    • Waste treatment and processing (88)
      • Polymer degradation (1)
      • Resource recovery (87)
        • Recycling (87)
Showing 31 - 40 of 180 results
Legislation
| 2019 |
Antigua and Barbuda
Litter Control and Prevention Act No. 3 of 2019.

This Act sets forth provisions on the appointment, duties and authorities of Litter Prevention Wardens; designation of officers of the Ministry of Health to carry out provisions of this Act; responsibilities of business owners; removal of derelict vehicles from a public place; and disposal of removed vehicles. This Act shall apply to any solid or liquid material or combination of solid and liquid...

Keywords
Enforcement, Fiscal incentives, Littering, Marine litter, Product bans, Verification of compliance, Waste disposal, Waste prevention
Regulation
| 2019 |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Environmental Protection (Microbeads) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019 (S.R. No. 18 of 2019).

These Regulations prohibit in Northern Ireland the use of microbeads (any water-insoluble solid plastic particle of less than or equal to 5mm in any dimension) as an ingredient in the manufacture of rinse off personal care products and the sale of any such products containing microbeads. Breach of these prohibitions is an offence. A person who, in the manufacture of any rinse-off personal care...

Keywords
Enforcement, Microbeads, Plastic waste, Waste management hierarchy
Regulation
| 2019 |
Uruguay
Decreto Nº 3/2019 - Se reglamenta la Ley Nº 19.655, del 17 de agosto de 2018, sobre la utilización de bolsas plásticas para contener y transportar productos y bienes entregados al consumidor.

Por medio del presente Decreto se reglamenta la Ley Nº 19.655 de 2018, relativa a la utilización de bolsas plásticas para contener y transportar productos y bienes entregados al consumidor. El objetivo de estas disposiciones es prevenir y mitigar el impacto ambiental derivado de luso de dichos materiales. Se excluyen del ámbito de aplicación las bolsas plásticas diseñadas para ser reutilizadas en...

Keywords
Enforcement, Levies, Plastic carrier bags, Plastic waste, Single-use plastic products, Waste management hierarchy
Legislation
| 2019 |
Kenya
National Sustainable Waste Management Bill
Keywords
Circular economy, Deposit-refund schemes , Domestic waste, Enforcement, Extended Producer Responsibility, Hazardous waste, Medical waste, Toxic waste, Waste management hierarchy
Legislation
| 2019 |
Colombia
Ley Nº 1973 - Ley por medio de la cual se regula y prohíbe el ingreso, comercialización y uso de bolsas y otros materiales plásticos en el Departamento Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina e Islas Menores que lo componen.

La presente Ley tiene por objeto establecer medidas de reducción del impacto ambiental producido por el ingreso, comercialización y uso de algunos materiales plásticos en el Departamento Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina. La presente Ley prohíbe el ingreso, comercialización o uso de bolsas plásticas que se utilizan para la disposición y transporte de objetos y mercancías en...

Keywords
Biodegradable plastics, Compostable plastics, Enforcement, Plastic carrier bags, Plastic polymers, Plastic waste, Very lightweight plastic carrier bags