Marine litter has been around for a very longtime, but its impact on the environment has
accelerated during the past 50 years, especially with the mushrooming growth of plastic. Plastic,
the dominant marine pollutants negatively affects human health, aesthetics, economy, and marine
life. It can be observed that there are more than enough legislations that try to deal with the
menace of environment degradation. The massive amount of legislation has led to a situation of
confusion and difficulty in enforcement. To deal with the same, there is a need for strong
integrated legislation that can provide a much clearer and integrated approach which can provide
the necessary protection to environment. Also, the pollution boards have been given the powers
to launch prosecution before the court of law to bring the violators to book as far as
environmental degradation is concerned. The idea of giving Quasi-judicial powers to these
boards can be considered so they can impose penalties upon those who violate the law and also
reduce the burden on the already overburdened courts. Tackling the litter issue involves many
stakeholders, including government, as litter pays scant regard to international boundaries.
Political will is essential, as final decisions inevitably involve governmental action. Litter
management must be included in national policy setting and awareness should be raised in
planning, practices, and capacity building.Gap identification in current legal and legislative provisions for protecting coastal zones from plastic waste