Abstract
Managing the wicked problem (Wagner 2021) of plastics and the pollution these materials cause rests on understanding and addressing the whole value chain. The pollution problem created by these materials stems from the way we manage our economies which is based on linear flows of materials and products – virgin materials in; waste out. Such an approach means that, throughout the lifecycle, waste and pollution are inevitable. Turning the economic system on its head and building an economy where materials and products are retained as stock is crucial. This would in turn reduce our dependency on virgin materials and natural resources. In this chapter, an argument is made for the design of legal tools to drive a plastics economy based on resource efficiency and the retention of stocks which respects a finite planet, with the aim of improving the quality of life for humans and the environment