Plastic Waste and Criminality

Unscrupulous entrepreneurs and criminal actors eagerly exploit business opportunities and changes in the legal landscape. This is certainly the case for the waste sector and, particularly, today’s US$50 billion global recycled-plastics market. Presenting evidence from around the world, this chapter argues that the entire plastic waste supply chain is vulnerable to criminal exploitation by business actors engaging in so-called white-collar crimes as well as organized crime groups that are involved in other illicit markets including narcotics, human smuggling, and modern slavery. This chapter also reflects on some of the challenges to tackle these issues and emphasizes the positive contribution of civil society actors in this space.