Knowledge and
resource library
Essential knowledge and guidance on marine litter in one place: legislation and regulation, international conventions, technical guidelines and policy documents.
Example selection: the documents below are public reference material chosen for the prototype; the library is completed with the platform's own guidance at launch.
Turning off the Tap: how the world can end plastic pollution
Systems-change scenario for reducing plastic pollution by 80% by 2040 through reuse, recycling and reorientation of products.
Open sourcePolicy and strategy documentsUNEP2023 · EnglishUNEA Resolution 5/14: End plastic pollution, towards an international legally binding instrument
The mandate to negotiate an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, covering the full life cycle of plastic.
Open sourcePolicy and strategy documentsUN Environment Assembly2022 · EnglishBest Practice Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear
Guidance for fisheries, ports and authorities on preventing gear loss, reporting and retrieving abandoned gear safely, and routing recovered material to recycling.
Open sourceGuidelines and technical resourcesGlobal Ghost Gear Initiative2021 · EnglishSave Our Seas 2.0 Act (United States, 2020)
Federal framework for marine debris response, waste management infrastructure and international engagement on ocean plastic.
Open sourceLegislation and regulationUS Congress2020 · EnglishBasel Convention plastic waste amendments
Brings mixed and contaminated plastic waste under the prior informed consent procedure for transboundary movements.
Open sourceInternational conventionsUNEP2019 · EnglishDirective (EU) 2019/904 on single-use plastics
Bans or restricts the most common single-use plastic items found on European beaches and sets extended producer responsibility rules.
Open sourceLegislation and regulationEuropean Union2019 · EnglishMarine Litter Provincial Action Plans Circular (Türkiye, 2019/09)
Sets out how coastal provinces prepare marine litter action plans, which institutions sit on the provincial commission and how progress is reported.
Open sourceLegislation and regulationNational environment ministry2019 · EnglishBarcelona Convention Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean
Binding regional framework for Mediterranean countries on preventing, monitoring and reducing marine litter.
Open sourceInternational conventionsUNEP / MAP2013 · EnglishMARPOL Annex V: Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships
International rules banning the discharge of garbage from ships and setting requirements for port reception facilities.
Open sourceInternational conventionsIMO2013 · EnglishUNEP/IOC Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter
Field methods for recording beach, floating and seabed litter in a standard format: survey design, sampling, count sheets and the classification categories used to compare sites.
Open sourceGuidelines and technical resourcesUNEP / IOC-UNESCO2009 · English
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