Plastics, Food and the Environment

Various changes in water, food, and the environment, including climate change, are an integral part of civilizations. The recent transitions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted economies, threatening the environment, circular ecosystems, and human health. As a result, state-of-the-art clean-up strategies are being developed to mitigate the potential implications of environmental toxicants/ contaminants. In view of this, less plastics pollution in the environment needs to be prioritized through multidisciplinary intervention approaches. These toxic plastic pollutants are created by unsustainable use and indiscriminate disposal of polymeric products. These mismanaged waste and microplastics are a major land-based source of plastic pollution that needs to be minimized via strategic improvements and mass-level behavioral changes. Moreover, the microplastics found in food, water, and air samples have been shown to harm human health. Because the use of plastic materials is an inescapable part of everyday life, researchers have become increasingly concerned, which has led to the increasing demand for eco-friendly polymeric materials for different applications in areas such as health, food packaging, and agriculture. Plastic can be rapidly reduced to its elementary constituents with the help of biological agents. Therefore, plastic degradation using algal species has attracted the attention of researchers. This chapter focuses on diverse microalgae that promote biodegradation of polymers and their potential role in the removal of pollutants from the environment.