In response to the plastic pollution crisis, numerous methodologies for quantifying plastic pollution have been developed. The breadth of these assessment methodologies can make it challenging for practitioners to determine which methods best suit their needs. The ‘Plastic Pollution Assessment Methodologies Suitability Toolkit’ (PLAST) has been designed to characterize and compare these methodologies, suggesting the most suitable options based on a user’s requirements. PLAST focuses on quantification assessments that determine the amounts of plastic pollution and provide insight into sources, pathways, and fates.
PLAST is intended for use by governments, NGOs, local authorities, businesses, academia, and developers interested in applying plastic pollution assessment methodologies. This includes those seeking to apply a methodology to assess plastic pollution and those looking to understand how different methodologies compare.
PLAST has four primary objectives: (1) To collate available methodologies for assessing plastic pollution; (2) To characterize these methodologies according to an explanatory framework; (3) To suggest broad methodological approaches best suited based on a user’s overall objectives and resources; (4) To recommend suitable assessment methodologies based on specific technical- and policy-related objectives and data availability.
Developed using Microsoft Excel with Visual Basic for Application, PLAST offers an intuitive graphical user interface. Users are advised first to review the Quick Start Guide and training video to ensure smooth operation. Additional support is available through the User Manual and FAQs.
Upon opening the PLAST Toolkit and following the set-up process described in the Quick Start Guide, users must read disclaimers and watch a training video. They then proceed to the assessment page where they input their needs and resources through a series of questions across Parts A, B, and C of the toolkit. These include binary ‘Yes/No’ questions as well as graded questions regarding feature importance or output relevance. PLAST categorizes each plastic pollution assessment methodology based on important features such as scope, outputs, and data requirements before automatically scoring and ranking them against these criteria.
Users are provided with results on the relative suitability of different methodological approaches as well as a comparison of the top three suggested assessment methodologies. By clicking the ‘Compare’ button, users access a PDF document displaying both results of relative suitability of methodological approaches and a comparison of the top three suggested ones along with a radar diagram providing visual comparisons between them. The ‘View All’ button directs users to information on each methodology included within PLAST.
The development team from the University of Leeds, Deltares, and IUCN created PLAST with funding from PROBLUE—an umbrella multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank supporting sustainable marine resource development in healthy oceans.