Plastic Pollution, Waste Management Issues, and Circular Economy Opportunities in Rural Communities

Florin-Constantin Mihai (), Sedat Gündoğdu, Laura Markley, Arianna Olivelli, Farhan Khan, Claire Gwinnett, Jutta Gutberlet, Natalia Reyna-Bensusan, Paula Llanquileo-Melgarejo, Christia Meidiana (), Sherien Elagroudy (), Vitalii Ishchenko (), Simon Penney, Zoe Lenkiewicz () and Maria Molinos-Senante
Additional contact information
Florin-Constantin Mihai: UAIC - Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași = Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza din Iași
Sedat Gündoğdu: Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
Laura Markley: Syracuse University
Arianna Olivelli: Imperial College London
Farhan Khan: Norway Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE)
Claire Gwinnett: Staffordshire University
Jutta Gutberlet: UVIC - University of Victoria [Canada]
Natalia Reyna-Bensusan: Air Quality Consultants Ltd., Logika Group
Paula Llanquileo-Melgarejo: PUC - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile = Pontifical Catholic University of Chile [Santiago]
Christia Meidiana: Brawijaya University, Indonesia.
Sherien Elagroudy: ASU - جامعة عين شمس - Ain Shams University [Cairo]
Vitalii Ishchenko: VNTU - Vinnytsia National Technical University
Simon Penney: Island Waste Management Global Alliance
Zoe Lenkiewicz: WasteAid
Maria Molinos-Senante: PUC - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile = Pontifical Catholic University of Chile [Santiago]

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Abstract: Rural areas are exposed to severe environmental pollution issues fed by industrial and agricultural activities combined with poor waste and sanitation management practices, struggling to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with Agenda 2030. Rural communities are examined through a "dual approach" as both contributors and receivers of plastic pollution leakage into the natural environment (through the air–water–soil–biota nexus). Despite the emerging trend of plastic pollution research, in this paper, we identify few studies investigating rural communities. Therefore, proxy analysis of peer-reviewed literature is required to outline the significant gaps related to plastic pollution and plastic waste management issues in rural regions. This work focuses on key stages such as (i) plastic pollution effects on rural communities, (ii) plastic pollution generated by rural communities, (iii) the development of a rural waste management sector in low- and middle-income countries in line with the SDGs, and (iv) circular economy opportunities to reduce plastic pollution in rural areas. We conclude that rural communities must be involved in both future plastic pollution and circular economy research to help decision makers reduce environmental and public health threats, and to catalyze circular initiatives in rural areas around the world, including less developed communities.

Keywords: open burning; illegal dumping; macroplastics; microplastics; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); rural areas; circular economy; waste management; plastic pollution; plastic pollution waste management circular economy rural areas Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) microplastics macroplastics open burning illegal dumping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-12-21
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05381638v1
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Published in Sustainability, 2021, 14 (1), pp.20. ⟨10.3390/su14010020⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05381638

DOI: 10.3390/su14010020

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