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A Pro-Environmental Value Construct to Deal With Plastic Pollution
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This article proposes a value-based framework for understanding plastic pollution, analyzing how the widespread usefulness of plastics drives their overuse and improper disposal. The author argues that sustainable solutions require rethinking the full lifecycle of plastics — from production through end-of-life — with a particular focus on reducing the microplastic contamination entering food chains.
Plastics are man-made synthetic materials. They are made mostly from crude oil even though natural gas and coal could also be used for manufacturing plastics. The multiplicity of its uses together with its versatile properties has made it indispensable to modern living. The average life of plastics differs in various industrial sectors. The generation of waste depends on the mean-product lifetime of the product into which plastics have been integrated. And when this waste is not handled properly (recycled or incinerated under controlled environment), the problem of pollution emerges. Plastics in the form of microplastics have been found in food chains as well, threatening human wellbeing. A model to better understand the source - use and afteruse of plastics is the central focus of this article. It looks at the need for building a sustainable model to deal with plastic pollution.
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This review proposed a conceptual framework for organizing the diverse technological, governance, and societal solutions to global plastic pollution, mapping the value-laden issues that drive different actors' preferences for particular approaches.
Towards the Rational Use of Plastic Packaging to Reduce Microplastic Pollution: A Mini Review
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This review examines how plastic packaging degrades into microplastics and explores strategies for reducing microplastic pollution through more rational use of plastics. The study suggests that shifting from a linear "take-make-dispose" model to a circular economy framework is essential for mitigating the environmental impact of plastics, particularly in aquatic ecosystems where microplastics persist and accumulate.
Sustainable Value Roadmap for the Plastics Industry
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This paper examined sustainability challenges for the plastics industry, reviewing life cycle perspectives and proposing a sustainable value roadmap to address microplastic contamination, marine pollution, and plastic landfill accumulation. The roadmap identifies collaborative opportunities for researchers, governments, and industry to transition toward more sustainable plastic production and disposal systems.
The Critical Importance of Adopting Whole-of-Life Strategies for Polymers and Plastics
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This review argues that plastics must be managed across their entire life cycle—from design to disposal—to address the growing crisis of microplastic pollution. The authors call for replacing the current 'disposable' mindset with strategies that prioritize durability, recyclability, and eventually biodegradability.
Role of Plastics in Modern Life: Benefits, Risks and Environmental Consequences
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This review examines the dual role of plastics in modern society — their economic benefits alongside environmental and public health risks — and surveys strategies for more sustainable plastic production and disposal.
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