Uncovering Plastic Pollution: A Scoping Review of Urban Waterways, Technologies, and Interdisciplinary Approaches

Peter Cleveland (), Donna Cleveland, Ann Morrison, Khoi Hoang Dinh, An Nguyen Pham Hai, Luca Freitas Ribeiro and Khanh Tran Duy
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Peter Cleveland: School of Future Environments, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Donna Cleveland: School of Communication and Design, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
Ann Morrison: School of Future Environments, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Khoi Hoang Dinh: Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
An Nguyen Pham Hai: School of Communication and Design, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
Luca Freitas Ribeiro: School of Communication and Design, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
Khanh Tran Duy: Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-28

Abstract: Plastic pollution is a growing environmental and social concern, particularly in Southeast Asia, where urban rivers serve as key pathways for transporting waste to marine environments. This scoping review examines 110 peer-reviewed studies to understand how plastic pollution in waterways is being researched, addressed, and reconceptualized. Drawing from the literature across environmental science, technology, and social studies, we identify four interconnected areas of focus: urban pollution pathways, innovations in monitoring and methods, community-based interventions, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Our analysis combines qualitative synthesis with visual mapping techniques, including keyword co-occurrence networks, to explore how real-time tools, such as IoT sensors, multi-sensor systems, and geospatial technologies, are transforming the ways plastic waste is tracked and analyzed. The review also considers the growing use of novel theoretical frameworks, such as post-phenomenology and ecological materialism, to better understand the role of plastics as both pollutants and ecological agents. Despite progress, the literature reveals persistent gaps in longitudinal studies, regional representation, and policy translation, particularly across the Global South. We emphasize the value of participatory models and community-led research in bridging these gaps and advancing more inclusive and responsive solutions. These insights inform the development of plastic tracker technologies currently being piloted in Vietnam and contribute to broader sustainability goals, including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Keywords: plastic pollution; urban waterways; monitoring technologies; interdisciplinary approaches (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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