The first article in Cambridge Prisms: Plastics was published on 8 May 2023. It explored how seabirds could serve as indicators of plastic pollution in the marine environment (Hamilton et al., Reference Hamilton, Clark and Borrelle2023). Perhaps unknowingly, that article embodied the defining qualities of the journal. It was explicitly set within the context of the global plastics crisis, combined multiple strands of evidence to present a balanced, integrated perspective and went beyond simply reporting findings to directly engaging with their policy implications. In doing so, the article reflected a broader view of scientific scholarship, not only diagnosing issues but also informing the design, implementation and evaluation of responses within a complex and contested governance landscape (Washbourne et al., Reference Washbourne, Murali, Saidi, Peter, Pisa, Sarzynski, Ryu, Filyushkina, Campagne, Kadykalo, Ávila-Flores and Amiar2024). By the end of June 2023, the journal had already published a remarkably diverse body of work, covering subjects from the political economy of marine plastic pollution (Jacques, Reference Jacques2023), anti-plastic activism (Dauvergne and Islam, Reference Dauvergne and Islam2023), life cycle assessment in the food and beverage industry (Chitaka and Goga, Reference Chitaka and Goga2023), sustainable waste management in the Global South (Karadimas et al., Reference Karadimas, Garner and Seay2023), hazardous chemicals in recycled and reusable plastic food packaging (Geueke et al., Reference Geueke, Phelps, Parkinson and Muncke2023) and the lived experiences of informal waste pickers (Gutberlet, Reference Gutberlet2023). What unites this range of research is a commitment to critical insights and societal relevance, emphasised by a focus on actionable interdisciplinary research.

From the outset, Plastics has aimed to make a meaningful contribution to real-world efforts to reduce the harms caused by plastics. Research published in Plastics has influenced ongoing policy debates, informed national and international decision-making processes, supported the work of intergovernmental organisations, provided evidence for civil society campaigns and helped shape public discourse through media engagement. It has also fostered new collaborations across disciplines, sectors and regions, and strengthened the research and practice networks necessary to address global plastics challenges. Since its launch, the journal has continued to develop as a platform for engaged, policy-relevant scholarship.

Thematic collections within Plastics have provided a platform for the research community to discuss and shape important research agendas. One of its most significant contributions was a landmark collection of open letters published in July 2025, timed to align with the start of the second part of the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The collection, titled “Act boldly or fail: academic perspectives at a pivotal moment in global plastics treaty negotiations,” comprised 22 letters written by more than 60 leading plastics experts worldwide. Together, the letters urged negotiators to agree on ambitious and enforceable measures to combat plastic pollution, such as reducing production, phasing out toxic additives and prioritising human health within the treaty (Fletcher, Reference Fletcher2025).

It is within this context that the journal has achieved an important milestone by earning its first Impact Factor and CiteScore. For new journals, being included in major indexing services and receiving citation-based metrics are key achievements. They demonstrate that the journal has gained visibility in the academic community and that its articles are being recognised and cited in ongoing scholarly discussions. Plastics has secured a CiteScore of 4.2 and an Impact Factor of 5.3, placing the journal in Q1 for Environmental Studies. By most standards, this is an excellent achievement for a broadly focused journal at this early stage of its development. However, these metrics should be interpreted carefully and with nuance. Citation metrics offer a limited and short-term view of a journal’s performance. They reflect collective scholarly attention over brief periods and are affected by disciplinary norms, publication cycles and the statistical effects of highly cited papers (Pudovkin, Reference Pudovkin2018; Aronson, Reference Aronson2025). For a new journal, such metrics can be unstable and should be viewed as early indicators rather than definitive measures of long-term influence, originality or impact (Aronson, Reference Aronson2025).

More fundamentally, Plastics was never conceived as a journal defined solely by its metrics. Its aim has always been to provide a space for interdisciplinary exchange, to connect evidence with policy and practice, and to support research that leads to meaningful change. Much of the journal’s impact lies beyond what citation metrics can capture. This includes influencing policies and legal frameworks, the uptake of evidence by governments, civil society organisations, communities and industry, contributions to public debate, and its role in convening a global community of researchers and practitioners. These impacts are often diffuse, cumulative and embedded in decision-making processes, and therefore do not fit easily into traditional bibliometric frameworks (González et al., Reference González, Fors and Torres2025). Receiving an Impact Factor and CiteScore should therefore be seen as an important and welcome recognition of the journal’s growing presence within the academic landscape, but are perhaps better viewed as signs of progress on a much longer journey.

To further strengthen its impact, the journal is creating a new article series titled “Future directions,” designed to address a persistent gap in the field between evidence generation and actionable recommendations. Research on plastics has expanded rapidly, yet it often remains fragmented and difficult to translate into clear priorities for action. The new series will provide a space for concise, forward-looking contributions that go beyond merely describing problems to outline credible, evidence-based pathways forward. Each article will identify a specific challenge, synthesise current evidence and outline actionable priorities for research, policy, innovation or practice. In doing so, the series aims to reinforce the journal’s role as a convenor of agenda-setting scholarship, further strengthening its relevance to policymakers, practitioners and interdisciplinary audiences. More broadly, it reflects a natural extension of the journal’s mission to clarify the choices, trade-offs and opportunities that will influence how the global plastics crisis is addressed in the years ahead. As Editor-in-Chief, I invite you to join us on this exciting and challenging journey.