End of life at the top of the world—stakeholder perspectives for plastics and circular transitions in the Arctic

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a growing global concern. Although the pollution itself is transboundary and knows no borders—the accumulation of plastics can have a more detrimental impact depending on where it is. In this study, we focus on the Arctic, an area where fragile ecosystems are increasingly under pressure from human-made products such as plastics. Although plastic pollution takes place on a global scale, it will be up to the regional and local levels to implement solutions that work in practice. In light of this, we held a participatory stakeholder workshop in the town of Longyearbyen on Svalbard to identify local perceptions from sectors directly affected by and affecting plastic use and growing mitigation efforts on Svalbard.