Abstract
The issue of microplastics has introduced an entirely new phase of marine plastic pollution for the 21st century. Plastics have spread throughout the marine ecosystem including the surface water, bottom sediments, and various marine organisms. Hazardous chemicals associated with marine plastics are also entering marine ecosystems. The major sources of marine plastics are disposable single-use plastics. Due to the persistence and potential hazard of marine microplastics, precautionary actions to reduce inputs of plastic wastes into the seas have been taken up internationally. Reduction of single-use plastics should be prioritized over incineration of plastic wastes, and even over “waste-to-energy” or recycling options. All solutions must be sustainable, circular, and co-beneficial with regard to global warming and other environmental problems based on the global material cycles viewpoint.
