Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Environmental Science & Technology
Research Priorities for a Circular Economy for Plastic Sustainability in the Caribbean
13 affiliations
- 1Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- 2Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
- 3Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo 10602, Dominican Republic
- 4Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine 331131, Trinidad and Tobago
- 5Analytics and Research for Decision Making (ALIADO), University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
- 6The University of West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Caribbean Environmental Law Unit, Bridgetown BB11000, Barbados
- 7Technological University of Panama, Panama City 0819-07289, Panama
- 8Laboratorio Nacional de Nanotecnología (LANOTEC), Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología CENAT, San Jose 10109, Costa Rica
- 9Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), Santo Domingo 10111, Dominican Republic
- 10Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), Santo Domingo 10109, Dominican Republic
- 11Université des Antilles, Pointe-à-Pitre 97110, Guadeloupe
- 12University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder Colorado 80309, United States
- 13Nueva Vida para los Residuos (NUVI), Santo Domingo 10109, Dominican Republic
Abstract
Caribbean countries bear a disproportionate burden of marine plastic pollution because of their small landmass, high population density, and insufficient waste management infrastructure. Many Caribbean nations depend on informal, unmanaged landfills, underscoring an urgent need for more resilient, sustainable systems. This perspective synthesizes existing data to map the region’s plastic waste landscape and leverages regional expertise to identify key research priorities. This work emerged from interdisciplinary international professionals and members of the CEPlaSt (circular economy for plastic sustainability) network. A major barrier to circularity is the lack of reliable data on waste composition and flows, alongside stark infrastructure disparities across the wider Caribbean region. Addressing these gaps through targeted investment and region-specific planning is essential to modernize waste systems, reduce plastic emissions, and advance a sustainable Caribbean plastic circular economy.
Related
- Sustainable aviation fuels in a circular economy
- Assessing the impacts of solid waste management in the context of corporate social responsibility and the circular economy
- Climate health action in Latin America and the Caribbean: Priorities identified through a multi-stakeholder engagement process
- Water management and the circular economy: a critical analysis of the emergence of a dominant paradigm
- Decarbonization, Dematerialization, and Economic Gains in Circular Economy for Construction and Demolition Waste Management in Europe.
BibTeX
@article{mozrall2026research,
title = {{Research Priorities for a Circular Economy for Plastic Sustainability in the Caribbean}},
author = {Anne Marie Mozrall and Jessica P. Feliz Garrido and Pamela Tejada-Tejada and Akeem Mohammed and Brigitte Mildred Roldán Ramírez and Alana Malinde S.N. Lancaster and Iris Odett Atencio and Diego Batista and Denise Delvalle-Borrero and Christian Espinal and Ana De León and Sarra Gaspard and Ulises Jauregui-Haza and Phaedra C. Pezzullo and Mariely Ponciano and Jeffrey V. Smith and Laura Vásquez and Rafael Vasquez and Amy E. Landis},
journal = {Environmental Science \& Technology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5c16637},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c16637},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Research Priorities for a Circular Economy for Plastic Sustainability in the Caribbean
AU - Anne Marie Mozrall
AU - Jessica P. Feliz Garrido
AU - Pamela Tejada-Tejada
AU - Akeem Mohammed
AU - Brigitte Mildred Roldán Ramírez
AU - Alana Malinde S.N. Lancaster
AU - Iris Odett Atencio
AU - Diego Batista
AU - Denise Delvalle-Borrero
AU - Christian Espinal
AU - Ana De León
AU - Sarra Gaspard
AU - Ulises Jauregui-Haza
AU - Phaedra C. Pezzullo
AU - Mariely Ponciano
AU - Jeffrey V. Smith
AU - Laura Vásquez
AU - Rafael Vasquez
AU - Amy E. Landis
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Environmental Science & Technology
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.5c16637
UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c16637
AB - Caribbean countries bear a disproportionate burden of marine plastic pollution because of their small landmass, high population density, and insufficient waste management infrastructure. Many Caribbean nations depend on informal, unmanaged landfills, underscoring an urgent need for more resilient, sustainable systems. This perspective synthesizes existing data to map the region’s plastic waste landscape and leverages regional expertise to identify key research priorities. This work emerged from interdisciplinary international professionals and members of the CEPlaSt (circular economy for plastic sustainability) network. A major barrier to circularity is the lack of reliable data on waste composition and flows, alongside stark infrastructure disparities across the wider Caribbean region. Addressing these gaps through targeted investment and region-specific planning is essential to modernize waste systems, reduce plastic emissions, and advance a sustainable Caribbean plastic circular economy.
SN - 0013-936X
SN - 1520-5851
ER -