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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.
Plastics are a critical category in the chemicals value chain and have helped shape the modern economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of plastics in people’s lives. Throughout the international community, the demand for plastic has surged during the pandemic owing to the mass production of masks, personal protective equipment and gloves. Despite the importance of plastics, however, the world struggles to manage plastic waste and prevent its leakage into the natural environment.
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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.
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.
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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.