The Role of Biodegradable Plastic in Solving Plastic Solid Waste Accumulation

Dilkes-Hoffman, Leela; Pratt, Steven; Lant, Paul; Laycock, Bronwyn

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-813140-4.00019-4

Cited by 56 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…With plastic pollution's increasing visibility on land and at sea, pressure for action is mounting while an effective global solution to this "wicked problem" remains elusive. While removing plastic litter from oceans (Sherman and van Sebille, 2016) and replacing plastics with other materials (Song et al, 2009;Dilkes-Hoffman et al, 2019b) contribute to a solution, we suggest that a far broader economic and technical approach is needed to catalyze change. The proposed initiative, a voluntary contribution on new FFP production led by the global plastics industry, should jump-start the circular economy by transforming plastic waste into a cashable commodity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eliminating Plastic Pollution: How a Voluntary Contribution From Industry Will Drive the Circular Plastics Economy

et al. 2019

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Marine plastic pollution is a symptom of an inherently wasteful linear plastic economy, costing us more than US$ 2.2 trillion per year. Of the 6.3 billion tonnes of fossil fuel-derived plastic (FFP) waste produced to date, only 9% has been recycled; the rest being incinerated (12%) or dumped into the environment (79%). FFPs take centuries to degrade, meaning five billion tonnes of increasingly fragmented and dangerous plastics have accumulated in our oceans, soil and air. Rates of FFP production and waste are growing rapidly, driven by increased demand and shifting strategies of oil and gas companies responding to slowing profit growth. Without effective recycling, the harm caused by FFP waste will keep increasing, jeopardizing first marine life and ultimately humankind. In this Perspective article, we review the global costs of plastic pollution and explain why solving this is imperative for humanity's well-being. We show that FFP pollution is far beyond a marine environmental issue: it now invades our bodies, causing disease and dysfunction, while millions of adults and children work in conditions akin to slavery, picking through our waste. We argue that an integrated economic and technical solution, catalyzed through a voluntary industry-led contribution from new FFP production, is central to arrest plastic waste flows by making used plastic a cashable commodity, incentivizing recovery and accelerating industrialization of polymerto-polymer technologies. Without much-needed systematic transformation, driven by a contribution from FFP production, humanity and the oceans face a troubling future.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eliminating Plastic Pollution: How a Voluntary Contribution From Industry Will Drive the Circular Plastics Economy

et al. 2019

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“…Bioplastics can be a solution to the problems of increasing amounts of plastics in landfills, but they have to be properly processed [52]. In addition, it is necessary to eliminate from the market the bioplastics which, despite the declarations of the producers, do not decompose at all or only partially decompose.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of the Possibility of Environmental Pollution by Composted Biodegradable and Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics

Markowicz

Szymańska-Pulikowska

2019

Geosciences

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Composting the municipal organic fraction of waste results in a valuable product in the form of compost, which could be used instead of other forms of fertilisation. The organic waste stream may contain oxo-biodegradable and biodegradable plastics used for waste collection. Their components and decomposition residues may contaminate the compost chemically and physically. In this paper, the results of studies on the content of selected macro- and microelements in new and composted plastics have been analysed. Statistical analyses were carried out in order to determine the most characteristic components of plastics and to determine the character of chemical composition changes. The analysis of the test results showed that multidirectional changes in the content of macro- and microelements occur during composting, and they may be the source of contamination of the fertiliser produced. Contaminants in the form of microplastics may also be released into the environment, which may pose a threat to many elements of the environment, including animals and humans.

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“…Plastic is a material that is designed to be durable and economical (Fok & Cheung, 2015), that's why, it is used for activities such as food, agriculture, medicine, automotive industry, electronics industry, clothing and also in construction and civil works (Dilkes-Hoffman, Pratt, Lant & Laycock, 2018). Historically the production of plastics each year grows by 9% (Crawford & Quinn, 2017a, b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics in the drinking water of the Riobamba city, Ecuador

Paredes

Castillo

Viteri

et al. 2019

srees

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The city of Riobamba captures for human consumption groundwater from melting glaciers, from seven wells in the foothills of the Chimborazo volcano. The objective is determine the percentage of existing microplastics in drinking water distribution system. Sixty two samples were collected, analysed with a cellulose filter and Nile red dye. Then observed in a stereoscope, obtaining presence in 12 samples of the 62 analysed. The results of the analysis show that there is a 19% presence of microplastics.

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The Role of Biodegradable Plastic in Solving Plastic Solid Waste Accumulation

Cited by 56 publications

References 67 publications

Eliminating Plastic Pollution: How a Voluntary Contribution From Industry Will Drive the Circular Plastics Economy

Eliminating Plastic Pollution: How a Voluntary Contribution From Industry Will Drive the Circular Plastics Economy

Analysis of the Possibility of Environmental Pollution by Composted Biodegradable and Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics

Microplastics in the drinking water of the Riobamba city, Ecuador

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