Plastics from the end-of-life perspective

Plastic environmental pollution, as an emerging menace for ecosystem functioning, is targeted by a broad audience. Recently, research studies have been focused on plastic waste accumulation, pollution, and innovative solutions for plastic waste management due to their vital role in protecting the environment. This study focuses on the global plastic pollution problem, especially single-use plastic, which is named as a lifesaver during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. It also addresses the latest scientific insights and reliable solutions such as moving from a linear economy to a circular economy as a significant cost-saving achievement. In this perspective, plastic pollution surrounds the earth’s ecosystem, ocean, soil, and air, which is a severe threat to the environment and human health. In this regard, less-explained scenarios, as well as simple, practical methods for overcoming the problem or reducing its consequences, are described. The results of this study show the following to solve the plastic pollution crisis: significant changes in human habits and training towards “4Rs” (reducing, reusing, recycling, and refusing plastics), comprehensive government management, on the one hand, by developing the necessary standards to limit the production of single-use plastic, and on the other hand, by creating more incentives for the development of more cost-effective prevention and collection technologies, as well as the production of reusable packaging with Use of 100% renewable energy and wider efforts to produce biodegradable plastics, and finally, implementing circular economy or zero-waste approaches.