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Advancing a circular economy approach for managing plastic pollution: guidance for evolving plastic governance in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
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DOI：10.1016/j.marpol.2026.107221.png)
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Abstract
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Plastic pollution poses a growing threat to marine ecosystems, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay, where microplastics are pervasive in waterways and fisheries. Governance of plastic management remains fragmented and centered on a linear life cycle strategy focused on end of life, or downstream, waste processing. Although jurisdictions include recycling measures, this approach has not prevented leakage onto land and into waterways. Effective alternatives are needed to reduce dependence on virgin resources and eliminate waste through preventive measures (i.e., upstream management). This paper applies a circular economy (CE) framework to evaluate plastic management across the Bay’s seven jurisdictions: Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Using the 10 R hierarchy, Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle, and Recover, a normalized Total Circularity Score (S*) and Upstream Orientation Ratio (U) were calculated to assess CE alignment. Results show modest alignment (mean S* = 0.30, n = 7), where S* = 0 indicates no alignment and S* = 1.0 indicates complete alignment. Virginia, New York, and Washington, D.C. scored highest (S* = 0.42, U = 0.62), reflecting broad R strategy coverage with moderate upstream orientation. Maryland and Delaware scored identically (S* = 0.32, U = 0.80), reflecting a narrower but prevention focused portfolio. Pennsylvania and West Virginia had the weakest profiles (S* = 0.13 and 0.06; U = 0.00), limited to downstream strategies. Policy remains fragmented and lacks unified targets. Advancing CE governance requires coordinated upstream standards, green procurement, and extended producer responsibility for less impactful packaging.
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