This article categorizes and evaluates how regulatory regimes conceptualize plastics, and how such conceptualizations affect the production, consumption, and disposal of plastics. Taking a doctrinal and policy-oriented approach, it identifies four ‘frames’ – that is, four distinct and coherent sets of meanings attributed to plastics within transnational regulation – namely, plastics as waste to be managed; a material to be prevented; a good (or waste) to be traded freely; and inputs or outputs in production-consumption systems. Based on this analysis, three significant deficiencies in the transnational regulation of plastics are identified: the failure to frame plastics in terms of environmental justice and human rights issues; insufficient focus on plastics prevention (rather than management); and the role of law in reinforcing its production and consumption.

本文对监管制度如何将塑料概念化，以及这些概念化如何影响塑料的生产、消费和处置进行分类和评估。采用理论和政策导向的方法，它确定了四个“框架”——即在跨国监管中赋予塑料的四组不同且连贯的含义——即塑料作为需要管理的废物；一种要防止的材料；可以自由交易的商品（或废物）；以及生产-消费系统中的输入或输出。基于此分析，确定了塑料跨国监管的三个重大缺陷：未能在环境正义和人权问题方面对塑料进行界定；对塑料预防（而不是管理）关注不足；