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Plastics in the Circular Economy
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This book examines the role of plastics in the circular economy, reviewing how the current linear plastics economy generates environmental problems including microplastic pollution from fossil oil use and unmanaged plastic waste. The authors assess circular economy strategies including recycling, biodegradable alternatives, and design for disassembly as pathways to maintain the benefits of plastics while reducing their environmental footprint.
We cannot imagine a world without plastics. Plastic products make our daily life safe, healthy and convenient. Besides all the benefits, the current plastics economy gives rise to environmental concerns with respect to fossil oil depletion and plastic waste accumulation. In a circular economy, however, plastics can be redesigned for reusability and recyclability. This book makes the topic of sustainable plastics approachable for students and career starters alike, describing the nature and chemistry of (bio)polymers as well as how to create a closed loop of plastic materials. The new edition expands on vitrimers, microplastics, recycling and examples. Discusses the new plastics economy chemistry and properties of polymers biodegradable plastics and polymers from renewable resources and plastics recycling.
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Plastics in the Circular Carbon Economy
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This review discusses the role of plastics in the circular carbon economy, examining how better waste management, recycling, and material innovation could reduce plastic leakage to the environment. It frames plastic pollution as both a waste management challenge and an opportunity for circular economy solutions.
System innovation and life cycle thinking in packaging value chain: the circularity of plastics.
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This paper examines the role of circular economy principles in reducing plastic packaging waste, noting that despite existing recycling systems, plastics remain pervasive environmental contaminants. The authors argue that redesigning packaging systems for recyclability and reducing over-packaging are essential steps to address microplastic pollution at its source.
Circular Plastics Economy: Redesigning Technology and Reimagining Society
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This book examines the concept of a circular plastics economy, arguing that technical redesign of materials must be paired with societal transformation to address plastic waste at scale. The authors critique current approaches and propose a more integrated vision combining innovation with behavioral and governance change.
Management Strategies for Plastic Wastes: A Roadmap Toward Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability
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This chapter reviews strategies for managing plastic waste — including mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and circular economy frameworks — as alternatives to landfilling and incineration. Unmanaged plastic waste breaks down into microplastics that spread widely through wind and water, making better upstream management critical for reducing environmental contamination. The authors argue that genuinely circular approaches, where waste is eliminated rather than merely shifted, offer the most effective path to reducing long-term microplastic pollution.
Circular economy for plastic waste management
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This overview chapter discusses circular economy approaches for plastic waste management, covering the history of plastic production and why strong carbon-carbon bonds make plastics so resistant to biological degradation. The chapter argues for redesigning plastic use and recycling systems to prevent plastic from fragmenting into persistent microplastics.
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