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Addressing climate change mitigation: Implications for the sustainable alternatives to plastics
Summary
This review examines the two-way relationship between plastic pollution and climate change, noting that microplastics both result from and may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions across the plastic lifecycle. It argues that sustainable alternatives to plastics must be evaluated holistically — considering climate impact alongside pollution reduction — to avoid trading one problem for another.
Abstract Accumulation of plastic waste is a global issue, and plastic particles are detected in different environments. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has been attributed to significant piling up of plastic waste and debris (including micro- and nano-sized plastic particles), yet the manufacturing of plastic products is still expected to grow. With the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use and disposal of plastics has resulted in increasing plastic pollution. There has been a lack of research into the effects of climate change on microplastics and, likewise, the effects of microplastics on climate change. This article aims to examine the pros and cons of sustainable alternatives to plastics in addressing the climate change issue. Special attention is devoted to the correlation between climate change and microplastic pollution. This perspective also serves to spawn ideas for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions caused by plastics by identifying the life cycle stages of plastic production.