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.
  • Australia (1)
  • Barbados (3)
  • Belize (2)
  • Benin (2)
  • Botswana (1)
  • Brazil (1)
  • Bulgaria (1)
  • Cambodia (1)
  • Cameroon (1)
  • Canada (4)
  • China (2)
  • Colombia (11)
  • Costa Rica (4)
  • Ecuador (8)
  • Estonia (1)
  • European Union (2)
  • Finland (2)
  • France (1)
  • Ghana (1)
  • Guyana (1)
  • India (1)
  • Ireland (2)
  • Kenya (4)
  • Malawi (1)
  • Maldives (1)
  • Mauritius (1)
  • Netherlands (1)
  • New Zealand (1)
  • Pakistan (3)
  • Palau (3)
  • Panama (2)
  • Paraguay (3)
  • Peru (6)
  • Portugal (4)
  • Rwanda (3)
  • Saint Lucia (1)
  • Samoa (1)
  • Saudi Arabia (1)
  • Senegal (2)
  • Seychelles (3)
  • South Africa (3)
  • Sri Lanka (6)
  • Tunisia (1)
  • Uganda (3)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2)
  • United Republic of Tanzania (1)
  • United States of America (23)
  • Zambia (3)
  • Zimbabwe (3)

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 111 - 120 of 139 results
Regulation
| 2008 |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 3257 of 2008).

These Regulations implement Annexes IV (Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage) and V (Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating to that Convention. They concern, among other things: surveys to be carried out and Sewage Certificates; the...

Keywords
Enforcement, Marine litter, Plastic polymers, Waste management hierarchy
Regulation
| 2007 |
Canada
Leaf Rapids, Manitoba Plastic Bag Ban
Keywords
Plastic carrier bags, Plastic polymers, Plastic waste, Single-use plastic products, Very lightweight plastic carrier bags
Regulation
| 2007 |
Mauritius
Plastic and Polyethylene Pipes and Fittings (Mauritius Standard Specifications) Regulations 2007 (G.N. No. 54 of 2007).

These Regulations, made under the Consumer Protection Act, prescribe standards for pipes and fittings made of plastic and polyethylene and used, among other things, for the supply of drinking water. The standards are specified in the Schedule to these Regulations. The Regulations also prohibit the importation, sale or manufacturing of plastic and polyethylene pipes and fittings, which do not...

Keywords
Enforcement, Plastic polymers, Polyethylene, Product bans, Product standardization
Regulation
| 2006 |
European Union
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)

The purpose of this Regulation is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards of substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation.

Keywords
Hazardous waste, Labelling, Life-cycle approach, Life-cycle assessment, Polyethylene, Polyethylene terephthalate, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl chloride, Recycling, Toxic waste, Waste disposal, Waste management
Legislation
| 2006 |
Palau
Recycling Act
Keywords
Extended Producer Responsibility, Polyethylene, Waste management hierarchy