Plastic habits – an overview for the collection ‘Plastics and Sustainable Earth’

Abstract

Over the last 60 years we have modified our behavior to make use of new synthetic material produced from fossil fuels. We have incorporated it into almost every facet of our lives making us more comfortable. The production of plastic material has grown at an alarming rate and huge volumes of non-biodegradable waste now litters the surface of the planet creating a major global problem. To reverse this problem, we need to consider both obvious and novel behavior change and product development. While we are beginning to remove plastic items from the environment, we do have the responsibility to reduce the amount of new plastic material entering the waste stream. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to explore all options relating to the way we design, produce and consume products and determine what acceptable waste is. This article collection is concerned with addressing the problem by exploring a variety of topics as diverse as the history of plastic material use, behavior change, and the development of new, environmentally friendly products and their impact on the environment. The following essay outlines a few ideas that do require further scientific exploration so we can begin the process of weaning society off its current dependence on plastic products.

Fabrication of Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Agar-Based Functional Films Hybridized with Alizarin and Grapefruit Seed Extract

“…Currently, as petroleum-based synthetic polymers are widely used as packaging films, the problem of environmental pollution due to the nondegradability of these packaging materials is seriously raised. , To solve this problem, biopolymers derived from natural resources are emerging as alternative raw materials for synthetic plastic-based packaging films. , Among biopolymers with high potential to replace plastics, cellulose attracts the most attention due to its excellent physical properties, abundance, and cost-effectiveness. , Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), one of the cellulose derivatives, has been widely used in biopolymer films due to its water solubility and excellent film-forming properties . CMC makes a very transparent and flexible film with moderate tensile strength, but its low water barrier properties limit its industrial use. , One way to solve the problem of CMC films is to make a composite film by blending it with other suitable biopolymers such as agar.…”

Marine plastic: The solution is bigger than removal

“…Debates about which solution is best for marine plastic continue as there is a growing realization that not all plastic pollution is the same (having different components, sources and pathways into the environment). It will not be feasible or realistic to remove all plastic already in the environment, neither is it appropriate or possible to stop the immediate production of all plastic (Patterson, 2019). It is more realistic to radically reduce the waste leaking into the ocean (and reducing production of certain items) while developing alternative materials, and hence reduce the overall burden entering the environment.…”

Risky plastics and the limits to consumer responsibilization

“…Plastic governance tends to associate these risk assessments to single use products and mobilizes consumers to think and make decisions in the present, in terms of questions about the future, including the harms that can be averted (Rose, 1998). For instance, micro-plastic beads are found in toothpaste and face and body scrubs, and consumers are informed that most of these beads get washed down the drain and into the environment (Paterson, 2019). Likewise, waste management institutions and not-for-profit organizations guide consumers to mitigate plastic pollution by using appropriate plastic disposal conduits and participate in land and marine plastic cleanups and recovery (Brown et al, 2016).…”