A multi-criteria assessment of the implementation of innovative technologies to achieve different levels of microplastics and macroplastics reduction

This paper proposes and applies a multicriteria decision analysis framework tailored to assess measures for reducing the concentration of microplastics and macroplastics in seas, by implementing ground-breaking clean-up technologies and addressing different types of pollutant sources. Environmental, socio-economic and financial impacts are considered to provide a ranking of these measures for better-informed decision making. The data required to evaluate the performance of the technologies in different locations and scales are analyzed to understand the consequences of the different measures in terms of plastic pathways and sites, and the amounts accumulated, using innovative simulation models. The framework is applied to the Mediterranean Sea, providing insights for designing measures to respond to the challenges of cleaning seas and fulfill the EU marine strategy. The results for the best ranked alternatives show that dealing with microplastics is much more expensive (by one order of magnitude) than dealing with macroplastics. •An improved framework for plastics reduction impact assessment is proposed.•Scenarios for tackling pollution in the Mediterranean Sea are assessed.•MCDA is a valuable approach to rank plastic reduction scenarios.•Reducing microplastics is much more expensive than reducing macroplastics.