Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Jan;162:111880. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111880. Epub 2020 Dec 8.
Plastic pollution, especially in marine environments, is a global problem that is currently inadequately managed. Solutions for marine plastic can occur through policy, behavior change and infrastructure improvements, but also through entrepreneurial ventures and technological innovations. Currently, information about these ventures and innovations is scattered and lacks coherence. This study presents the first comprehensive overview of entrepreneurial and SME led solutions for marine plastic by analyzing a database of 105 SMEs categorized into four functions: prevention, collection, transformation and monitoring. We find that small businesses are successfully commercializing goods and services to reduce the damage of plastics on the marine environment through innovative business models, with a steep growth of startups founded between 2016 and 2019. However, efforts to manage marine plastic are still underdeveloped in many areas, including microplastic management and monitoring. Practitioners, policymakers and researchers can utilize the database to identify solutions, best practices, synergies and avenues for further research, such as quantifying the environmental impacts of this industry.
塑料污染，尤其是在海洋环境中，是一个目前尚未得到妥善管理的全球性问题。海洋塑料的解决方案可以通过政策、行为改变和基础设施改善来实现，但也可以通过创业企业和技术创新来实现。目前，这些企业和创新的信息分散且缺乏连贯性。本研究通过分析一个包含 105 家中小企业的数据库，对企业和中小企业主导的海洋塑料解决方案进行了全面概述，这些中小企业分为四大功能：预防、收集、转化和监测。我们发现，小企业正在通过创新的商业模式成功地将商品和服务商业化，以减少塑料对海洋环境的破坏，2016 年至 2019 年期间新成立的初创企业数量急剧增长。然而，在许多领域，包括微塑料管理和监测，管理海洋塑料的努力仍不发达。从业者、政策制定者和研究人员可以利用该数据库来识别解决方案、最佳实践、协同作用以及进一步研究的途径，例如量化该行业的环境影响。
