Solutions and Integrated Strategies for the Control and Mitigation of Plastic and Microplastic Pollution

Abstract

Plastic pollution is generated by the unsustainable use and disposal of plastic products in modern society, threatening economies, ecosystems, and human health. Current clean-up strategies have attempted to mitigate the negative effects of plastic pollution but are unable to compete with increasing quantities of plastic entering the environment. Thus, reducing inputs of plastic to the environment must be prioritized through a global multidisciplinary approach. Mismanaged waste is a major land-based source of plastic pollution that can be reduced through improvements in the life-cycle of plastics, especially in production, consumption, and disposal, through an Integrated Waste Management System. In this review paper, we discuss current practices to improve life cycle and waste management of plastics that can be implemented to reduce health and environmental impacts of plastics and reduce plastics pollution. Ten recommendations for stakeholders to reduce plastic pollution include (1) regulation of production and consumption; (2) eco-design; (3) increasing the demand for recycled plastics; (4) reducing the use of plastics; (5) use of renewable energy for recycling; (6) extended producer responsibility over waste; (7) improvements in waste collection systems; (8) prioritization of recycling; (9) use of bio-based and biodegradable plastics; and (10) improvement in recyclability of e-waste.

Rethinking and optimising plastic waste management under COVID-19 pandemic: Policy solutions based on redesign and reduction of single-use plastics and personal protective equipment

“…Pandemics are recurrent throughout human history; thus, the search for sustainable solutions must be prioritised, now more than ever. This involves scaling up on responsibility (from stakeholders and governments) and innovation (from academia and research industry) to rethink the design and management system of plastics by moving forward and faster to a model that considers plastics entire life cycle (i.e., from design/production to end-of-life optionsinstead of independently optimising each stage) (Prata et al, 2019(Prata et al, , 2020. As the major environmental problems allied with the plastic pollution during COVID-19 pandemic resulted from: i) high demand on SUPs; ii) high demand of PPE; iii) increased medical waste, and iv) prioritisation of incineration and landfill; the following recommendations are proposed:…”

“…Such strategies/approaches must be put in place in a short-term, and must include, for instance, i) the increment in the number of disposal facilities, ii) enhancement of infrastructures (i.e., recycling, composting and, as last resorts, landfilling and waste-to-energy), iii) increasing coordination between stakeholders, authorities and local workers; and iv) empowering producers, retailers and municipalities. When recycling is not possible, plastic waste should be used as feedstock or in waste-toenergy, which are easier to implement in the short-term (Prata et al, 2019). Indeed, some plastic wastes cannot be recycled (e.g., composites, highly degraded materials) and should have an alternative end-life besides landfilling (Braungart et al, 2007).…”

The Plastics Sunset and the Bio-Plastics Sunrise

“…It was reported that about one million and a half of the albatrosses that inhabit the Midway Islands have plastic in their digestive system [9]. The subtropical seawaters between California and the Hawaiian Islands are today the main accumulation areas of the oceanic plastic, known as GPGP (Great Pacific Garbage Patch), consisting of over 80 thousand tons floating plastic waste, such a garbage island that covers about 1.6 million km 2 and has a surface three times larger than France [10]. Furthermore, only 26% of the about 50 million tons of plastic used annually in the 27 countries of the EU is recycled, while 38% of the plastic wastes is deposited in landfills and 36% destroyed by combustion [4].…”

“…This terminology also includes the bio-plastics [2,3]; innovative materials that have the ambition to replace another material, the plastics, which progressively invaded the environment around us since the Second World War and are involved almost everywhere in the lives of human beings: the houses we live in, the places where we work, the transportation means we use, almost every tools and objects we utilize, and even the clothes we usually wear.…”

Enhanced Functional Expression of the Polyhydroxyalkanoate Synthase Gene from Cupriavidus Necator A-04 Using a Cold-Shock Promoter for Efficient Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Production in Escherichia Coli

“…The global environmental concern regarding microplastics in the marine environment as contaminants with significant impacts on animal and human health has led to a call for national and international policies from more than 60 countries to ban or place a levy on single-use plastics [1][2][3][4]. Renowned global companies have also integrated regulations and policies to ban plastic bottle cap seals, plastic water bottles, straws and other single-use packaging into their green marketing and corporate social responsibility policies.…”