Plastic pollution: advances and challenges of two recent decrees in BrazilAbstract
Plastic pollution can be understood as degradation (or damage) to the environment due to substances made of different synthetic polymers (e.g., polypropylene) of different sizes (e.g., microplastics). The phenomenon is completely out of control on a global scale. Considering the negative effects of plastics for the environment, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health, it is well established that measures must be taken—and urgently—to control the problem. Recently, two important decrees (No. 12, 644 of 2025 and 12, 688 of 2025) addressing plastic pollution were enacted in Brazil. In this paper, we briefly discuss how both decrees represent legal advances in combating plastic pollution in the country. However, the efficacy of these new regulations will also hinge on their broad implementation by municipalities across Brazil. In addition, for example, it will depend on an increase in inspection capacity in the municipalities. Therefore, coordinated actions in these aspects should be taken by the national authorities.
Keywords:
marine environments; enforcement; reverse logistics; environmental policy; macroplastic; microplastic
Resumo
A poluição plástica pode ser entendida como a degradação (ou dano) ao meio ambiente causada por substâncias compostas de diferentes polímeros sintéticos (e.g., polipropileno) de diferentes tamanhos (e.g., microplásticos). O fenômeno está completamente fora de controle em escala global. Considerando os efeitos negativos dos plásticos para o meio ambiente, a biodiversidade, os serviços ecossistêmicos, e a saúde humana, é evidente a necessidade de medidas urgentes para controlar o problema. Recentemente, dois importantes decretos (nº 12.644 de 2025 e nº 12.688 de 2025) que abordam a poluição plástica foram implementados no Brasil. Neste artigo, discutimos brevemente como ambos os decretos representam avanços legais no combate à poluição plástica no país. No entanto, a eficácia dessas novas normas também dependerá de sua ampla implementação pelos municípios do Brasil. Além disso, por exemplo, dependerá do aumento da capacidade de fiscalização em todos os municípios. Portanto, ações coordenadas nesses aspectos devem ser tomadas pelas autoridades nacionais.
Palavras-chave:
ambientes marinhos; fiscalização; logística reversa; política ambiental; macroplástico; microplástico
1. Introduction
Plastic is a general term used to refer to different synthetic polymers (i.e., artificially obtained) that include polypropylene, polystyrene and numerous other chemical compounds (e.g., Maddah, 2016; Andrade et al., 2019; Lima et al., 2021). Pollution, in turn, is defined as “[…] damage caused to water, air, etc. by harmful substances or waste [...]” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2025). Plastic pollution, therefore, can be understood as the degradation (or damage) to the environment caused by substances made of different synthetic polymers (e.g., polypropylene) of different sizes (i.e., nano-, micro-, meso- and macroplastics).
Plastic pollution is completely out of control around the planet. Plastic corresponds to approximately 80% of the anthropogenic litter in the environment (Barnes et al., 2009). For example, the estimates of plastic material input into the ocean caused by populations in coastal areas are substantial (Jambeck et al., 2015). Considering the negative effects of plastics for the environment (e.g., MacLeod et al., 2021), biodiversity (e.g., Azevedo-Santos et al., 2021), ecosystem services (Kumar et al., 2021), and human health (e.g., Sharma and Chatterjee, 2017), it is well established that measures must be taken—and urgently—to control the problem across all global scales (Azevedo-Santos et al., 2021).
One such measure to combat plastic pollution is the establishment of legal measures, such as laws, decrees, treaties and so on (e.g., Rangel-Buitrago and Gracia, 2024; Sekaran and Ganapathy 2024; Papp and Oremus 2025; Azevedo-Santos, 2026). Recently, two important decrees were published in Brazil. Here, we briefly present both legal instruments and provide two examples of challenges for their effectivity in the country.
2. Advances
Several decrees have been established regarding the issue of plastic pollution in Brazil. However, two recent ones stand out on this matter in the country. In this section, we briefly explained both decrees considering some of their main advances.
The first is Decree No. 12, 644 of 2025, which directly addresses the issue of plastic pollution. It institutes the so-called “National Ocean Without Plastic Strategy for the period 2025 to 2030” (“Estratégia Nacional Oceano sem Plástico para o período de 2025 a 2030”, in Portuguese) (Brasil, 2025a). In its different articles, the decree sets forth a series of principles, guidelines, and other aspects aimed at combating pollution from synthetic polymers in Brazilian marine environments (Brasil, 2025a). To highlight some important aspects, this decree acknowledges the need to combat plastic pollution from "source to sea" (Brasil, 2025a, Art. 3º)—which is consistent with what is known in the scientific literature on the sources of plastic inputs (Lebreton et al., 2017). Furthermore, it includes as a guideline to address the problem of plastic pollution the need for collaboration among decision-makers, scientists, and society in general (Brasil, 2025a, Art. 3º), which is very important for advances in environmental protection and management based on scientific evidence in the field (Azevedo-Santos et al., 2017). In the attachment section, the decree provides proposed lines of action, such as the elimination in long term of single use plastics (e.g., bottles, straws), and legal improvements to the prohibition of microbeads and equivalent in cosmetics products (Brasil, 2025a). All of these, for example, are prevalent pollutants in aquatic ecosystems (So et al., 2018).
The second is Decree No. 12, 688 of 2025, which addresses the reverse logistics (i.e., when an item is returned from the consumer to the manufacturer) of packaging made of plastics (Brasil, 2025b). Therein, reverse logistics are applied to plastic objects, with some exceptions, and is the responsibility from manufacturers to the consumers (Brasil, 2025b). For example, Chapter VI clearly establishes the obligations of manufacturers to undertake several actions (e.g., recycling, environmental education) in the reverse logistics process (Brasil, 2025b).
Both decrees are comprehensive (see their entire texts), clear, and very timely in terms of establishing effective policies to combat plastic pollution in the Brazilian territory. Furthermore, they have great potential to reduce the plastic pollution in neighboring countries (e.g., Paraguay, Argentina, French Guiana), especially pollutants dispersed by river flow or marine currents. More fundamentally, they are important legal instruments that may serve as inspiration to other countries in South America, and around the world, to adopt similar regulations. This is important, especially at the moment when an international legal instrument (i.e., a plastic treaty) is being negotiated under the domain of the United Nations (Vitorino et al., 2022; Azevedo-Santos, 2026).
3. Challenges
The failure of existing laws suggests that these decrees may suffer from similar problems. In general, past regulations allow one to predict at least two main challenges, as will be explained below.
The first is that these decrees may simply not be implemented by the authorities of several municipalities in Brazil. For example, Law No. 12,305 of 2010 on solid waste has not been fully implemented by the executive branch in many municipalities across the country, especially those outside the major urban centers (e.g., Maiello et al., 2018; Bó and Bernardin, 2026). In this sense, it is important to note that many Brazilian regulations are un-implementable which renders them socially ineffective. Furthermore, it could become merely government policy, and not state policy, as has already happened in the recent past when several decrees on the environment were neglected throughout the country.
The second main reason is that, in the hypothesis of broad implementation by the municipalities, enforcement is flawed in different locations, considering the limited number of inspectors in a country of continental dimensions. For example, Article 33 of Law No. 12,305 of 2010 states that pesticide packaging, mostly made of plastic compounds in the country, must be returned to its producers after use by farmers or other groups (Brasil, 2010). However, probably due to a lack of inspection (but also the lack of application explained), this article remains an illusion in many regions of Brazil. In some municipalities of the country, many farmers are not committed to returning the pesticide packaging to the companies from which they purchased it (Bernardo et al., 2015). The result is the incorrect disposal near crops and other environments. In fact, there are records in the country of pesticide containers and packages being dumped into or near waterbodies (Azevedo-Santos et al., 2021; see also Figure 1a). Another example is Law No. 9,605, which, despite its existence, does not curb the pollution that is evident on beaches, in water bodies, mountains, along highways, and other Brazilian environments (e.g., Figures 1bf).
Plastic pollution events in Brazil: (a) poison (pesticide) package near a lake formed by a hydroelectric reservoir; (b) single-use plastic dumped in a “restinga” (i.e., coastal sand dune vegetation); (c) a straw and other plastic fragments in the sand on the beach; (d) single-use plastic at the headwaters of a watercourse; (e) bottles and other objects along the margins of a river; (f) single-use plastic on the side of an urban road, exposed to the proliferation of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762)—a vector for mosquito-borne diseases.
The challenges discussed above are just examples, as many others exist. Therefore, a more detailed analysis should be conducted by Brazilian authorities, legal experts, prosecutors throughout the Public Prosecutor's Office, and environmentalists. We believe that coordinated actions are necessary for the effectiveness of the decrees across the entire Brazilian territory. Furthermore, it is essential to intensify enforcement and other strategies (e.g., social engagement and environmental education) (e.g., Azevedo-Santos et al., 2021), which, as stated, remains flawed, especially in remote areas.
4. Conclusion
Decrees No. 12, 644 of 2025 and 12, 688 of 2025 represent advances in combating plastic pollution in Brazil. However, the efficacy of these regulations will hinge on their broad implementation by the municipalities across the country. In addition, it will depend on an increase in enforcement and other strategies in the municipalities. Therefore, coordinated actions in these aspects should be taken by the national authorities. Otherwise, the decrees will be merely two additional “dead letters” in Brazil.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Lívia H. Tonella (from UNITINS, Brazil) and Josie South (from University of Leeds, U.K.) for the critical reading of a previous version of this paper. Thanks are due to the two anonymous reviewers who provided important suggestions and corrections. F.P.O. was supported by the CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil (process number 306490/2024-2).
Data Availability Statement
All data is presented in the paper.
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Editor:
Takako Matsumura Tundisi
