Preventing Petrochemical Plastics Pollution: Sustainable Material Alternatives

Abstract

Achievement of some of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals will not be possible if global trends in pollution associated with petrochemical-based plastics continue. Alternatives to petrochemical plastics have been researched intensely, but they have not been developed to replace current plastic products in a commercially viable way. The demand for single-use plastic personal protective equipment created by the COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated urgency in developing pollution prevention strategies that transcend reliance on highly variable consumer behavior. Biological material plastics are potentially sustainable because their manufacture utilizes renewable resources, and they are biodegradable. In this paper, challenges facing the sustainable management of discarded single-use petrochemical plastics are discussed, and a material lifecycle perspective is proposed that would be integrated into a circular economy of biological plastics. Preventing petrochemical plastics pollution requires a shift to fossil-free feedstock and energy and the design of biopolymers with desired properties. In this work, strategies for improving the performance and recyclability of biological plastics by designing polymers with diversified functionalities are presented.

Utilization of Disposed Surgical Face Masks and Head Caps

“…Now the COVID-19 global pandemic situation has mandated people to use PPE widely in domestic situations. 1 However, mismanagement of such materials threaten the land and aquatic environment with a new form of "PPE pollution". Researchers argue that it is necessary to develop and implement innovative ways to manage and utilize PPE in order to reduce their impacts on the environment.…”