Economic Damage of Plastic Pollution: An Integrated Assessment Across Territories

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Chapter 1

Environmental Challenges Economic Damage of Plastic Pollution: An Integrated Assessment Across Territories -- Manuscript Draft --

Economic Damage of Plastic Pollution: An Integrated Assessment Across Territories

ABSTRACT

Environmental externalities, such as the ecological and health effects of plastic pollution, are often overlooked in typical economic assessments, where it is expected that by two thousand fifty, the amount of plastic in the ocean will exceed that of fish. The total damage cost due to plastic waste was systematically evaluated using damage cost analyses across multiple environmental domains, including terrestrial/land impacts, freshwater/wadi impacts, coastal/marine impacts, and atmospheric/human exposure impacts. Total damage costs due to plastic leakage were two point six nine million dollars in two thousand twenty-two, decreasing to one point one zero million dollars under a high-stringency policy by two thousand fifty, indicating significant cost savings. The reduction in plastic leakage from thirty-four thousand nine hundred eighty-eight to fourteen thousand three hundred seventy tons per year is associated with a nearly sixty percent decrease in damage costs. Plastic leakage to land contributes the highest economic burden, reducing from one point one four million dollars to zero point four seven million dollars, while plastic leakage to freshwater decreases from zero point eight seven million dollars to zero point three six million dollars. Plastic leakage to coastal and marine costs zero point six six million dollars to zero point two seven million dollars, and atmospheric/human exposure costs drop from zero point zero two three million dollars to zero point zero zero nine million dollars. The effectiveness of high-stringency policies, as evidenced by scenario analysis and sensitivity analysis, was demonstrated by a reduction in plastic leakage rates from five point six percent to two point three percent, supporting a rationale for stringent plastic management policies. Further, the marginal damage of plastic leakage into the environment is approximately seventy-six point eight dollars per ton. The research presented here advances theoretical understanding of integrating externalities and provides local governments, policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders with practical insights. To fill this gap, this study develops an integrated damage cost assessment framework to quantitatively evaluate the marginal harm caused by plastic pollution emissions. This framework can be used for future research and policy initiatives in a society more concerned with sustainability.

One point zero Introduction

Two point zero Plastic Pollution and Its Global Significance

Three point zero Plastic Pollution in the Sultanate of Oman

Four point zero Methods and measurements

Five point zero Results and Discussion

Five point one Baseline Damage Cost Assessment (twenty twenty-two)

Five point two. Damage cost due to plastic leakage- Scenario analysis

Five point three. Scenario analysis based on Plastic leakage rate (Total damage cost)

Five point four. Sensitivity Analysis

Five point five Flow Analysis and Material Balance

Five point six Regional Context and Comparative Analysis

Five point seven Policy Impact Decomposition

Five point eight Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Six point zero Plastic Pollution Framework

Seven point zero Conclusions and future research directions

Seven point one. Summary findings as a damage cost analysis of plastic waste

Data Availability Statement

Overview

This manuscript presents a comprehensive analysis of the economic impacts of plastic pollution, assessing damage costs across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and atmospheric domains. It reveals significant cost reductions associated with high-stringency policies for plastic management and emphasizes the need for integrated accounting frameworks to mitigate these costs.

Key Points

1Plastic leakage contributes significantly to environmental and health damages
2High-stringency policies can drastically reduce plastic leakage and associated costs
3The study provides a framework for assessing economic damage due to plastic pollution
4Oman is examined as a case study to illustrate the broader implications of plastic waste management
5Effective action and integrated frameworks are essential for addressing plastic pollution challenges.

Details

Authors: Maheshwari & Banerjee, Jones & Pathak, Nzama et al., Marks et al., Abahussain et al., Thrift et al., Tekman et al., Ziani et al.
Category: Environmental Studies

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