Unpacking plastics in Antarctica: ECR-driven priorities for Antarctic plastics research

Plastic pollution in the Antarctic region presents a significant environmental challenge due to its increasing presence and impacts on the remote and fragile polar ecosystem. The upcoming fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5, 2032-33) presents an opportunity for intergenerational engagement between Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and professionals in polar sciences to develop long-term research goals to address the current issues facing the polar regions. To understand the existing knowledge and views of ECRs, who will be at the forefront of the next IPY, we conducted a workshop at the Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS, 2025), focused on concerns around plastic pollution in Antarctica. This workshop engaged ECRs from various disciplines within polar sciences to discuss the complexities of plastic pollution in the Antarctic region and to help inform future planning and decision-making in Antarctic environmental research. This essay synthesises the discussions from the workshop and incorporates current understandings from the polar plastic research sphere. The importance of standardised scientific methods, strengthening international collaborations, embedding ethical and diverse considerations into plastics research and improving communication strategies to enhance awareness and engagement is emphasised. This essay also highlights the need for enforceable measures on plastics under the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) and calls for more equitable representation in Antarctic decision-making processes. The insights from this workshop provide a broad vision for the future of this field, using the upcoming IPY and involving ECRs to shape and undertake future Antarctic environmental research and governance directions.