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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.
Circular economy for plastic 'Bakelite' was invented in 1907 in New York by Leo Baekeland. Plastics are organic materials that are highly resistant to microbial action due to the strong carbon-carbon bonds. Chemically, most plastics are derived from propylene, a simple chemical constituent of petroleum. In the presence of a catalyst, the simple monomeric units of propylene bond with a strong carbon-carbon bond to form polypropylene. It takes more than 400-500 years for the microbes to degrade it. Hence, it is obvious that all the mismanaged plastic waste is still in existence The dominant use of single-use plastic products (SUPP) is observed in the packaging sector.
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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.
Circular Economy Approaches towards Plastic Waste Management
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This review examines recycling and reusing strategies for plastic materials as a means of preventing microplastic generation, grounding the analysis in circular economy principles emphasizing resource efficiency through repair, reuse, and recycling. The authors evaluate current methodologies and propose strategies to reduce plastic waste degradation into microplastics, linking waste management practices to pollution prevention outcomes.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.