Plastics in our ocean as transdisciplinary challenge

This conference report summarizes the current challenges of researching microplastics pollution in the ocean as debated by international experts and stakeholders at a workshop held in San Sebastián, Spain, 1–2 October 2019. The transdisciplinary, co-learning approach of this report stressed the need to incorporate multiple perspective in solving the problem of microplastics and resulted in three proposed actions: (i) filtering microplastics from waste waters; (ii) mandatory ecolabels on plastic products packages; and (iii) circular economy of packaging plastics. •To combat plastic pollution, major steps in the science-policy interface are needed.•Transdisciplinary co-learning can be a crucial step to transformative science.•We highlight three interventions: water filtration, eco-labels and circular economy.