Plastic pollution has become a transboundary, multisectoral crisis demanding integrated technological, legal, and behavioral solutions. This chapter traces the plastic lifecycle from escalating global production to end-of-life leakage, synthesizing bibliometric trends (2015–2024) that reveal an exponential surge in research and innovation. It critically analyzes international conventions, India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016), and extended-producer responsibility mandates, highlighting gaps and synergies across governance scales. Advances in chemical and mechanical recycling, bioplastics, pyrolysis, remote sensing surveillance, and circular retail platforms are evaluated alongside community-centered practices such as deposit-return schemes, reuse campaigns, and informal-sector incentives. Best practices spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas illustrate context-specific pathways that converge on Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13, and 14. The chapter argues that transdisciplinary, equity-centered transition—linking science, policy, and citizen action—can transform plastics from ‘sweet poison’ to regenerative resources within a circular economy.