The global threat from plastic pollution

Abstract

Plastic pollution accumulating in an area of the environment is considered “poorly reversible” if natural mineralization processes occurring there are slow and engineered remediation solutions are improbable. Should negative outcomes in these areas arise as a consequence of plastic pollution, they will be practically irreversible. Potential impacts from poorly reversible plastic pollution include changes to carbon and nutrient cycles; habitat changes within soils, sediments, and aquatic ecosystems; co-occurring biological impacts on endangered or keystone species; ecotoxicity; and related societal impacts. The rational response to the global threat posed by accumulating and poorly reversible plastic pollution is to rapidly reduce plastic emissions through reductions in consumption of virgin plastic materials, along with internationally coordinated strategies for waste management.

Reshaping the Module: The Path to Comprehensive Photovoltaic Panel Recycling

“…Both of these options have significant negative environmental effects. Discarded plastics are a major global concern with plastic waste, both macro and micro, found in every environment globally [57,61,62]. The very slow rate of degradation means that plastic waste will remain present for unacceptably long periods of time.…”

Two Birds with One Stone: Bioplastics and Food Waste Anaerobic Co-Digestion

“…However, to date, no certification scheme for 'AD-able' material exists, and even some of the most biodegradable EN 13432 materials (industrial composting certification scheme) were shown not to meet the physical contaminant criteria of the PAS 110 specification, the national quality standard for the digestate market in the UK [51]. This is alarming, especially in light of microplastic and plasticiser accumulation reported in agricultural soils [67,68]. Soil biodiversity and, consequently, soil fertility could be severely undermined with increasing levels of plastic pollution [68].…”

“…This is alarming, especially in light of microplastic and plasticiser accumulation reported in agricultural soils [67,68]. Soil biodiversity and, consequently, soil fertility could be severely undermined with increasing levels of plastic pollution [68].…”

Emerging contaminants and nanoplastics in the water environment: a matter of rising concern

“…Noteworthy, the situation has substantially worsened as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak [30,31] . Land dumped plastic waste is transported by the river network [32] with an annual estimated amount of 1.2-2.4 million tons in 2016 [33] . Under business-as-usual scenarios, these emission rates could be doubled by 2025 [34] .…”