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A great many Rs
Summary
This chapter reviewed plastic waste management approaches through the lens of the traditional waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle), discussing how geographic inequalities in waste management capacity create linked environmental impacts across countries. The relative sustainability of different measures was evaluated alongside recognition that plastic pollution patterns in one region are often driven by consumption and disposal elsewhere.
The proliferation of plastic products and the question of what to do with the resulting waste have been the subject of international interest, resulting in significant research and investment. Nevertheless, the relative sustainability of these measures is variable, and access to suitable waste management is geographically uneven. In addition, the impacts of plastics and microplastics on the environmental health of many countries are linked to patterns of consumption, disposal, and waste handling in other regions. Here, we will discuss the traditional aspects of the waste hierarchy and their relative importance and success in relation to the control of plastic waste as well as their potential benefits in reducing microplastic parent materials. In particular, we will look at the role of new technologies (alternative materials, such as bioplastics and plastic capture devices) in supporting more sustainable waste management approaches.