Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42633144›Full record

ArticleiScience2026

Knowledge gaps impeding plastic governance in the European Union.

Stine Hach Juul Madsen, Fredric Bauer, Teis Hansen, Lars J Nilsson, Bethanie Carney Almroth, Jonathan M Cullen, Elin Dreyer, Leonidas Milios, Lars Fogh Mortensen, Tobias Dan Nielsen and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in iScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Stine Hach Juul MadsenDepartment of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg C 1958, Denmark.
Fredric BauerDepartment of Technology and Society, Lund University, PO Box 118, Lund 22100, Sweden.
Teis HansenDepartment of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg C 1958, Denmark.
Lars J NilssonDepartment of Technology and Society, Lund University, PO Box 118, Lund 22100, Sweden.
Bethanie Carney AlmrothDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Jonathan M CullenDepartment of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CP2 1PZ, UK.
Elin DreyerDepartment of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg C 1958, Denmark.
Leonidas MiliosJoint Research Centre of the European Commission, Calle Inca Garcilaso, Seville 41092, Spain.
Lars Fogh MortensenEuropean Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, Copenhagen K 1050, Denmark.
Tobias Dan NielsenEuropean Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, Copenhagen K 1050, Denmark.
Tara OlsenDepartment of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, Frederiksberg C 1958, Denmark.
Kristian SybergDepartment of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, Roskilde 4000, Denmark.
Arnold TukkerInstitute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, Leiden 2333 CC, the Netherlands.
Esther van den BeukenTNO Unit Energy and Material Transition, Kessler Park 1, Rijswijk 2288 GS, the Netherlands.
Patricia Villarrubia-GómezStockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Plastic pollution poses urgent environmental, societal, and health challenges, yet governance remains fragmented. The 2022 UNEA resolution 5/14 offers an opportunity for a legally binding treaty, but negotiations are stalled by geopolitical tensions, entrenched industrial interests, and divergent views on the plastic problem. Effective governance is further constrained by knowledge gaps spanning the entire plastic life cycle. The European Union, as a leading proponent of life-cycle-oriented plastic governance, provides a relevant context to examine these gaps. This paper offers an analysis of critical knowledge gaps that impede effective plastic governance across plastic life cycles. Through a multi-stage process drawing on structured expert input and supporting review of relevant literature, we identify four strategic action areas essential for progress in the European Union: knowledge generation, methodological development, transparency and disclosure, and tracking and traceability. Advancing these areas is important to addressing the urgent and complex challenges posed by plastic pollution.

Indexed as

knowledge gapsplastic governancestrategic actionsystems approach

Identifiers

PMID42633144
PMCPMC13499091

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.