Samenvatting

Marine litter is cited by UNEP as “Any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment”, and includes metal, glass, paper, cardboard, processed wood, cloth and plastic. This report focuses mainly on the plastic fraction of marine litter. It seems that plastic is a large threat to marine life and causes many problems since it is not fully biodegradable. Many different stakeholder sectors in the Netherlands are involved in the plastic issue but it is unclear what the perceptions of these stakeholders are regarding plastic in the marine environment. The aim of this study was an overview of the perceptions of stakeholders in the Netherlands regarding the issue of plastic in the marine environment, related to individual opinions, level of awareness, behaviour and the responsibility of the stakeholders; visions of companies within the plastic life cycle; and the behaviour, opinions and responsibility within companies of the plastic life cycle from a company perspective. The different stakeholders are divided in nine stakeholder sectors: design and manufacturing; retail; coastal and marine industry; waste management; government and policy making; environmental organisations; media; education; and general public. The first four stakeholder sectors are included within the plastic life cycle.