See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/352994413

A Critical Analysis of Rising Global Demand of Plastics and its Adverse impact
on Environment Sustainability

Article in Journal of Environmental Pollution and Management · July 2021

DOI: 10.18875/2639-7269.3.105

CITATIONS READS

27 5,688

1 author:

Shaili Vadera
Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University
12 PUBLICATIONS 82 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Shaili Vadera on 06 July 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Open Access

Journal of Environmental Pollution and Management

REVIEW ARTICLE ISSN: 2639-7269

A Critical Analysis of the Rising Global Demand of Plastics and its

Adverse Impact on Environmental Sustainability
Shaili Vadera* and Soha Khan

College of Business Administration, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

*
Corresponding author: Shaili Vadera, Assistant Professor-Economics, Accounting & Finance, College of Business
Administration, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel: 0509608478, E-mail:
[email protected]

Citation: Shaili Vadera, Soha Khan (2021) A Critical Analysis of the Rising Global Demand of Plastics and its Adverse Im-
pact on Environmental Sustainability. J Environ Pollut Manage 3: 105

Abstract

The paper critically examines the rising global demand of plastics including the role of major countries responsible for the
mismanaged plastic waste by 2025. It also outlines the growing importance of adopting Plastic Replacement Alternatives
as global solution to mitigate plastic pollution. Plastic pollution affects the health of millions of people around the world.
Synthetic plastics are slow to degrade posing a huge threat to the entire ecosystem. Recent studies conclude that human
beings are daily consuming bits of micro-plastics through food and water. Micro-plastics have also been found in 90%
of the packaged drinking water. Approximately 9 million tons of plastic waste is disposed annually and it is expected to
double by 2025. If present trend continues there will be more than 18 billion metric tons of non-biodegradable plastic both
in land and oceans. Also, due to recent Covid-19 pandemic, there is a sudden increase in demand for single-use plastic
items. The problems related to post pandemic plastic pollution will become even more complex requiring a collaborated
and sustainable approach in collection and effective disposal of plastic waste in order to mitigate its harmful impact on the
environment.

Keywords: Plastics; Global; Demand; Mismanagement; Pollution; Biodegradable Alternatives; Sustainability

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

2 J Environ Pollut Manag

Introduction
Plastics are one of the most versatile man-made material. It has been reported that more than 2 million plastic bags and bottles
are currently being consumed by packaging industry every day. Plastics are currently in demand in all the sectors. The current
demand for plastics in packaging industry is around 36% followed by building and construction at 22% and the rest 42% required
in other key sectors such as electronics, furniture, transport, agriculture, medical, toys, etc. The future production of plastics is
set to double by 2030 [1]. Due to slow rate of degradation and inappropriate disposal mechanism there is gradual accumulation
of global mismanaged plastic waste in the environment. The accumulated plastic waste is continuously broken down into toxic
micro-particles by extreme weather conditions causing irreparable damage to the entire ecosystem. It is also responsible for polluting
freshwater bodies and other habitats [2]. More than 9 million tons of plastic waste is dumped in the oceans every year which is
expected to double by 2030 [3]. Plastic waste dumped in oceans and water bodies is causing high risk to the aquatic life. It is
also found that quantity of plastic remains/debris is six times more in relation to the quantity of oceanic planktons (flora) which
produce 70% to 80% of total oxygen on earth. Also, plastic debris has also been found inside the gut of dead marine animals. Fishes
and other aquatic animals are directly consuming micro particles of plastics which smell as food covered by algae and fungi. This
plastic is getting accumulated in the gut and tissues overtime which is causing death of many fishes and other aquatic animals due
to starvation. Therefore, it is also affecting the food chain in the entire ecosystem. According to a recent study on marine species
there will be acute shortage of sea food if dumping of plastic waste materials is not controlled in the coming years [4].

Literature Review

Plastic term comes from the Latin word ‘plasticus’ and the Greek word ‘plastikos’ signifying ‘ready to be shaped’ or ‘formed.’ Plas-
tics are largely used as packaging materials [5]. Plastics have substantial benefits in terms of being light weight, durable, flexible
and cost effective as compared to other alternative packaging materials [6]. Plastics are among the most sought after man-made
material [7]. According to European Bio plastics, there are more than 30 types of plastic polymers. About 95% to 99% of these
plastics are derived from petroleum sources while the rest 3-5% are derived from biodegradable (compostable) plant sources. The
commonly used plastics are mostly derived from non-renewable sources such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride
and poly (ethylene terephthalate). On the other hand, biodegradable plastics are produced from renewable plant sources, recycled
food waste, by-products including compostable and oxy-biodegradable plastics etc. Plastics are commercially used in many sectors
including manufacturing, construction, medical industry, packaging, agriculture, furniture, household appliances, electronics etc.
Currently 85% of plastics are used in the production of medical equipment’s including surgical gloves, disposable syringes, sterile
packaging for medical instruments, dental implants and bridges, catheters, joint replacements, intravenous bags, insulin pens etc.
In addition, 70% of the ‘single-use plastic’ is commonly used for packaging purposes.

However, there are significant challenges related to economic, social, technological and environmental implications of production
and consumption of plastics. There is gradual accumulation of discarded plastics in landfills and oceans [8]. Plastic waste can phys-
ically harm wildlife. According to [9], plastic debris can be found littered on beaches, floating on the surfaces, and submerged at the
bottom of all water bodies. Micro-plastics are often eaten by aquatic animals as food covered by algae. It is majorly responsible for
filling their guts causing death due to starvation. There is significant evidence regarding the harmful effects of accumulated plastic
garbage on 300 aquatic species including 90% of ocean turtles, 40% of seabirds, and 70% of marine animals. Improper disposal
of plastic waste is also affecting tourism sector in many ways. Recycling is an effective waste-management strategy, although very
limited amount of the plastic has been recycled till now [10]. Asian countries with growing consumer markets are responsible for
more than 70% of the plastic pollution. Ironically, substitutes like wood, metal and glass contribute to significantly higher environ-
mental costs as compared to plastics. Therefore, there is a need for thorough investigation regarding the environmental impact of
plastic production, consumption, disposal and availability of substitutes to mitigate plastic pollution [11]. A recent report by BCG
& WWF 2020 proposes an International Treaty with support from corporates to accelerate global efforts to tackle plastic pollution.

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

J Environ Pollut Manag 3

Objectives of the Study

1. To forecast global demand of plastics by 2025.

2. To forecast global mismanaged plastic waste by 2025.
3. To outline the growing need and importance of Plastic Replacement Alternatives (PRA’s) to mitigate plastic pollution.

Research Methodology

It is an exploratory study based on identifying the underlying issues related to plastic production, consumption patterns and ap-
plications in various industries. Secondary data was qualitatively analyzed using statistical software for forecasting global demand
of plastics, identifying major countries responsible for mismanaged plastic waste and exploring plastic replacement alternatives as
solutions to tackle the growing plastic pollution around the world.

Forecasting Global Demand of Plastics by 2025

The resurgence of global plastic industry has been witnessed since World War II. The global demand of plastics has increased 10
times in last 30 years. The global plastics market was valued at $570 billion in 2019. It is expected to grow at 5 percent every year.
Plastic production growth rates indicate that production could double by 2025 to increase four times by 2050. Asian countries
accounts for more than 70% of the global plastics production and consumption.

YEAR GLOBAL DEMAND OF PLASTICS

1990 120000000
1991 124000000
1992 132000000
1993 137000000
1994 151000000
1995 156000000
1996 168000000
1997 180000000
1998 188000000
1999 202000000
2000 213000000
2001 218000000
2002 231000000
2003 241000000
2004 256000000
2005 263000000
2006 280000000
2007 295000000
2008 281000000
2009 288000000
2010 313000000
2011 325000000
2012 338000000
2013 352000000
2014 367000000
2015 388000000

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

4 J Environ Pollut Manag

YEAR GLOBAL DEMAND OF PLASTICS

2016 390000000
2017 395000000
2018 410000000
2019 430000000
2020 428711811
2021 439344364
2022 449976916
2023 460609468
2024 471242020
2025 481874572
Table 1: Future Projection: Global demand of plastics 1990 – 2025

Global Demand of Plastics 2025

Figure 1.1: Global Demand of Plastics 2025 (Statista 2020)

Figure 1.2: Global production of plastics 2019-2020

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

J Environ Pollut Manag 5

Global plastic production is forecasted from 310 million metric tons since 2014 to 375 million metric tons by 2025 [12]. The con-
sumers market for plastic products and its application in packaging industry is estimated at $270 billion by 2025.
The above figure depicts the global production of plastics from 2019-2020 for the following countries: Japan, NAFTA, Latin Amer-
ica, Europe, CIS, Middle East, Africa, China, and Rest of Asia (Source: Statistical 2020)

China is the leading producer and exporter of plastic products/ materials with 30% of total production followed by rest of Asia
including India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. China contributed around 7 million
metric tons of plastic in July 2020 representing almost 33% of absolute global demand for plastics (Statistical 2020). In recent times,
developing economies have become the production hub of plastic products exported overseas. The following countries having
high per capita consumption of plastics: Korea, Israel, Canada, United States, Western Europe, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Mexico,
Brazil, India and Africa. Asia is the largest contributor to global domestic plastic waste [8].

Plastics being cost effective are virtually in demand across all key sectors: cosmetics and personal care, packaging, transportation,
building & construction, textiles, consumer products, electrical and electronic applications, and production of capital goods.

Figure 1.3: Industrial global demand of plastics (million tonnes per year)

The above figure depicts industrial global demand of plastics (million tonnes per year)

As per the graph Polyethylene is most commonly used in the packaging industry recording highest production of around 150
million tons in the year 2018-2020. It includes single-use plastics like bottles, plastic bags, plastic films, containers etc. There are
different types of polymers of Polyethylene: HDPE, PP, PS, LDPE, and LLDPE. Plastics are also increasingly used as packaging
material in super markets which maintain hygiene, freshness, quality and increase the life span of perishable food items. The global
plastic packaging market is expected to increase to $270 billion by 2025 [13].

The degree of durability of plastics depends upon their uses and applications. For instance, plastic materials used in building and
construction can last for more than 35 years; plant, machinery & equipment lasts almost 15- 20 years; electronic plastic products/
components usually last for 8-10 years; textiles up to 5 years; disposable plastic cups and related items are usually discarded after

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

6 J Environ Pollut Manag

single use whereas plastic food and drink containers, lunch boxes, cosmetics, medicines packaging usually lasts up to 2-3 years.
Also, plastic polymers are perceived as a valuable material for the production of disposable medical plastic packaging materials,
gloves, and personal protective equipment etc. Because of increasing demand of plastics in various sectors, competitive rivalry
among producers is also high. Companies are focusing on expanding existing capacity to create economies of scale thereby offering
a diverse mix of product portfolio for increased profitability. Due to the recent pandemic, reduction in oil prices has also adversely
affected the global demand of recycled plastics which are comparatively costlier than virgin plastics. Growth of plastic industries
in emerging markets such as Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, China, India, and Mexico have been instrumental in fueling the global
demand for plastics.

Forecasting global mismanaged plastic waste by 2025

Mismanaged plastic waste (MPW) is contaminating the world’s water bodies causing water logging and floods, transmitting vec-
tor-borne diseases, increase in respiratory problems, allergies etc. due to toxic emissions from combustion of waste plastic material
thereby causing harm to the entire ecosystem. Plastics in the global ecosystem can be segregated into three categories: currently
in-use plastics, plastic waste managed through recycle or re-use, and mismanaged plastic waste. Mismanaged plastic waste (MPW)
is characterized as “plastic that is either disposed of or insufficiently arranged causing harm to the environment. Inadequately dis-
posed plastic debris threatens habitat and aquatic life [7].

Figure 2.1: Global Mismanaged Plastic Waste by 2025

The Figure depicts the forecasted global mismanaged plastic waste by 2025 for the following countries: Algeria, Argentina, Ban-
gladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, and
Vietnam. (Source: Statistical 2020)

As per the estimate, China contributed to 25.78% of the total global mismanaged plastic waste followed by Indonesia at 10.7%,
Philippines at 6.3% in the oceans [14]. Approximately 345 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year. Plastics are made
from polymers which are also responsible for contributing to issues related to global warming and climate change. Packaging ma-
terial comprises of 47% of the total mismanaged plastic waste. Textile sector contributes almost 17% of the global waste. 75% of
discarded textiles are either incinerated or land-filled and the rest 25% is recycled.

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

J Environ Pollut Manag 7

Figure 2.2: Global Plastic Mismanaged Waste Disposal

It can be observed in the graph above that majority of mismanaged plastic waste is either discarded in landfills or dumped into
oceans causing serious damage to the environment. More than 8.5 billion tons of plastic waste was disposed between 1960 and
2020, out of which only 12% has been incinerated, 9% recycled and almost 79% discarded in landfills, oceans or environment.

Figure 2.3: Fate of Mismanaged Global Plastic Waste

Asia is the largest contributor of global plastic waste, generating more than 73 million tons followed by Europe, North America
and Latin America. More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped in the environment every year and majority of this plastic waste
comes from countries such as China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand. According
to recent study plastic pollution from landfills and incineration generates approximately 450 million tons of carbon dioxide yearly.
Landfill is the traditional approach to waste management practiced in most of under-developed and developing countries. The 4
Rs’ strategy that has been implemented as waste management practice- i.e. reduce, reuse, recycle and recover considers landfill as
the least desirable strategy [15]. Landfills also suffers from another major disadvantage. Landfill eliminates the opportunity to re-
cover or reuse the discarded plastics. On the contrary incineration reduces the need for landfill, however it leads to toxic emission
of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, CO2, dioxins etc. which are directly released into the atmosphere causing air pollution and global

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

8 J Environ Pollut Manag

warming. According to a study, only 9% of the plastic in the world has actually been recycled till date, which means that 91% of the
plastic has not been recycled at all. Recycling of mismanaged plastic waste is the best alternative to protect the environment from
harmful emissions. Also, recycling reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 0.8 tons [16]. Thermal treatment is another method
to eliminate plastic waste permanently.

The figure depicts that the Fate of mismanaged global plastic waste under landfill & environment, currently in use, Recycled, and
Incinerated. (Source: Plastics Europe Market Research Group)

Due to Covid-19’ demand for disposable gloves, masks, plastic cups, coffee stirrers, straws, and other personal protective equip-
ment (PPE) has increased tremendously since last six months. Due to improper disposal, they are found littered on the streets,
public places, near hospitals, garbage heaps etc. which can further lead to cross contamination. According to a recent study viruses
were found to sustain longer on plastic surfaces and items in comparison to metals, paper or cardboard. Strains of certain viruses
were detected even up to 72 hours on plastic surfaces. It was therefore concluded that paper bags might be safer as compared to
plastic bags [17].

Plastic recycling rates vary across countries. In India 60 percent of plastic is recycled rest 40 percent is either disposed in landfill
or incinerated. Plastic recycling rates in other countries: 47% in South Africa, 45% in U.K., 28% in China, 27% in Japan, 11% in
Indonesia, 10% in Canada, 6% in Israel and 10% in the United States. Nine Countries in Europe that have imposed a complete ban
on landfill are: Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria. These coun-
tries have more than 95% recovery rate of discarded plastic waste. However, during Covid-19 pandemic, the amount of single-use
plastic discarded might not get recycled at all due to inadequate number of municipality waste services in developing countries.

Growing need and importance of Plastic Replacement Alternatives to mitigate plastic

pollution

Currently, there is a growing need for countries to adopt an integrated approach to adopt the 7R’s model of sustainability which
advocates effective disposal mechanism of plastic waste by different methods/ processes [18].

Figure 3: 7Rs’ Circular Economy Model

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

J Environ Pollut Manag 9

The figure explains the 7Rs’ Circular Economy Model named as Replace, Redesign, Re-modify, Recover, Repurpose, Recycle, and
Refuse.

The primary objective is to combine forward integration approach in the 7R’s model for sustainable development and conservation
of environment. The basic idea is to incorporate the 7R’s model during the new product development process so as to reduce the plastic
footprint and its adverse impact on the environment. It can be achieved through extension, adaptation and modification to lengthen
the product life cycle stages, design thinking, exploring renewable alternative sources of energy and fuel, focusing on increased use
of by-products to create biodegradable plastics/ products, technological collaborations and adopting sharing economy model for
community development [19]. Benioff Ocean 2020 Initiative have pledged $11 million to targeting river plastic pollution.

In the past numerous initiatives have been undertaken at global level to redesign, refuse, eliminate, reuse or recycle the con-
sumption of plastics through closed-loop system also known as circular economy model [20]. It has also been emphasized that
single-use plastic items should come along with pollution causing labels [21]. World Bank (2018) announced that global plastic
waste is expected to increase by 70% if proper measures are not adopted to reduce plastic pollution. Countries are undertaking
stringent regulations related to mismanaged waste that adversely affects the health of millions of people around the world [22].
Countries around the world have adopted an integrated approach of 7R’s Model through stringent reforms and regulations. For
instance, in Western Europe and Japan, about 96% of plastic waste is collected and recovered at source. Also, there is complete
ban on discarding waste plastic in landfills or oceans. They have also introduced plastic bottles deposit scheme for consumers
to facilitate recovery at source. The countries such as U.S.A and Australia have 80% of waste collection average and depend on
landfilling or incineration as waste management strategy. Germany has the highest recycling rate of 57% followed by South Korea,
Austria, Wales and Switzerland. Emerging economies like China, India & Brazil with increased industrial activity have only 50%
waste collection average. Manual collection of waste material is more prevalent and large amount of waste is discarded in landfills
or water bodies informally leading to plastic pollution. Most of the countries are imposing strict trade restrictions on import of
single-use non-biodegradable plastics as a preventive measure to curb pollution. Instead countries are introducing new regulations
permitting imports of only approved oxy-biodegradable single-use plastics and packaging materials which can be easily degraded
in the presence of oxygen. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Albania, Jordan, Yemen and United Arab Emirates are the leading coun-
tries which have enforced stringent regulations allowing imports of only oxy-biodegradable disposable plastics. The samples of
the plastics imported are further tested in the pre-approved labs to ensure that they are oxy-biodegradable. However, whether the
oxy-biodegradable plastics actually degrade in the presence of oxygen in a short span of time without causing air or water pollution
is yet to be fully established.

Countries such as United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, European Union, U.S., India etc. are taking preventive measures to ban
the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and other single-use plastic products. United States plans to adopted circular economy by
recovering and recycling 100% of all used plastic packaging by 2040. In 2016-17, France restricted the free distribution of sin-
gle-use plastic thereby eliminating the use of more than 5 billion plastic grocery bags. Canada in 2018 adopted the principle of
Zero Plastic Waste by introducing complete ban on single-use plastics by 2021 and developing responsibility programs designed
to reduce, redesign, recycle, recover and reuse. India as an emerging economy with a population of 1.3 billion, is a significant
contributor to plastic pollution due it’s convenience and cost effectiveness. India’s per capita usage of plastics stands at 11.5 kgs.
However, India is reducing the use of polythene bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 50 microns in thickness and plans
to ban all single-use plastics by 2022. Plastic due to its durability, thermal resistance and highly resilient nature finds multiple uses
in building and construction industry. Companies are also taking initiatives to recover ocean plastics to manufacture sneakers,
jackets, comforters, sportswear, bags etc. from recycled ocean plastic debris. Plastic toothbrush takes 100 to 300 years to degrade.
Therefore, bamboo toothbrush are other eco-friendly substitutes which are currently available in the markets. The need of the hour
is to educate the consumers regarding the harmful effects of plastic pollution so that they adopt biodegradable alternatives. With
the introduction of ban on polythene retailers have started using jute/ cloth/ paper bags in place of plastic carry bags. In many
countries, single-use plastics will be prohibited in both semi urban and urban communities by 2021.

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

10 J Environ Pollut Manag

A Review on Plastic Replacement Alternatives to mitigate plastic pollution

Plastics are extremely versatile and unavoidable due to their multiple uses and characteristics. But the level of harm it is causing to
our environment, because of its non- biodegradable nature, has forced countries to invest heavily in R&D labs, to seek compostable
eco-friendly plastic alternatives. However, the main limitation of compostable products is that they require industrial treatment in
compostable industrial centers/ facilities which are also limited in number. For the last two decades, there has been an emphasis
on living “green” and exploring environment friendly plastic alternatives. There is an urgent need to shift the focus to biodegradable
alternatives to reduce the menace of plastic pollution. For example- Starch as a totally bio-degradable, low cost natural polymer
has been receiving lots of attention these days. Starch when blended with aliphatic polyesters can be used to produce completely
biodegradable as well compostable trash bags. These bags decompose when they come in contact with soil and are safe as fodder
for animals also. They are economical to produce, but the starch content has to be more than 60% of the composite, in order to
make it easily degradable [23]. Increased usage of potato/ corn starch in making compostable trash bags can drastically help in
reducing plastic pollution. Replacement of plastic bags with cotton bags, made from 100% biodegradable material, cotton mesh is
increasingly being used. Likewise, biodegradable plastics made from sugar and carbon dioxide could safely be used in producing
medical implants. Production of biodegradable plastics from microalgae as well as use of ground coffee precipitate/ residue can be
effectively utilized for reducing plastic consumption. Also, the use of bars instead of plastic shampoo bottles, detergent and other
liquids are other possibilities to reduce plastic footprint. A company in New Zealand named Ehique makes soap bars from coconut
oil and other such essential oils. Seeds of olives which are usually discarded in the production process can be used to produce bio-
degradable plastic products, which can easily be decomposed into fertilizers within one year [24-30]. Limex made from calcium
carbonate can also be used as a substitute for plastic. Moreover, the basic raw material used in this is limestone, which is abundantly
available in many parts of the world. Bamboo and sandalwood are also in use to create biodegradable water bottles which have
shelf life of about two years.

Single use plastics and packaging material are one of the major cause of environmental pollution which has lead countries and
communities to focus on producing biodegradable plastic products. For example- most commonly used packaging materials used
today are made from foaming technology and Nano-cellulose. Plastic straws take somewhere between 450 years to decompose so
biodegradable straws are being produced made from plant parts, grass, bamboo and metal [31-35]. Companies are also investing
heavily in nanotechnology used for making packaging material of paper or cardboard. There has been a focus on creating edible
cutlery. Not only our environment, but also our bodies are getting damaged with excessive use of plastics. As it is observed that
90% of packaged water bottle contains traces of plastic therefore, edible water bottles are being produced from sea weed extracts.
Also paper bottles are replacing plastic bottles. Similarly, edible forks, spoons, cutlery and chopsticks made with a combination
of sorghum, wheat, pulses, spices and rice flour are baked in various shapes which can be easily consumed. Edible cutlery in hot
liquid usually lasts for more than an hour, so it can be consumed as it is made from edible spices which have medicinal benefits.
Plant based tooth brushes, where even the packing boxes are made from bamboo, helps in reducing the waste that goes to landfills
in the form of plastic toothbrushes. Also the use of bamboo as a replacement for plastics can provide boost to bamboo farming and
supporting the livelihood of tribal population which are instrumental in creating eco-friendly products in developing countries.
Sanitary pad which have 90% plastic need several years to decompose. However, plant based sanitary napkins are currently made
from corn or bamboo fiber has the ability to decompose in just six months after disposal [35-40].

Therefore, there is a need for global coordination and participation between governments, communities, industry associations,
municipal waste management corporations, suppliers, retailers, consumers and not-for-profit organizations in order to sustainably
execute and implement the circular economy model related to 7R’s.

Conclusion

The global demand for plastics is continuously increasing at a rapid pace. Plastics being light weight, durable, versatile and cost
effective find number of applications in key sectors such as cosmetics, packaging, transportation, building & construction, tex-

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

J Environ Pollut Manag 11

tiles, consumer products, electrical etc. Due to such large scale production and consumption there is a growing concern related to
increase in mismanaged plastic waste. Due to high cost of recycling most of the mismanaged plastic is conveniently discarded in
landfills. Also, there are growing challenges to recycle all the single-use plastic that is accumulating in the environment. For the
last two decades, there has been an emphasis on living “green” and finding out environment friendly plastic products. Numbers
of initiatives are being adopted at national and global level to redesign, reduce, reuse or recycle waste plastics by adopting circular
economy model. It is the need of the hour that firms invest in R&D labs, seek biodegradable alternatives as replacement for syn-
thetic plastic polymers including innovative packaging material, products and processes to mitigate the harmful effects of plastics.
Countries need to impose regulations to import oxy-biodegradable single-use plastics only and enforce complete ban on usage of
non-biodegradable plastics. Collaborated efforts are required by countries around the world to discourage single use plastics, adopt
compostable and biodegradable plastic products and recycle the existing mismanaged waste to provide a cleaner and sustainable
environment for the coming generations.

References
1. Ibid - WEF, EMF, McKinsey & Company (2016).

2. Wagner M, Christian Scherer, Diana Alvarez-Muñoz, Nicole Brennholt, Xavier Bourrain, et al. (2014) Microplastics in freshwa-
ter ecosystems: What we know and what we need to know. Environ Sci Eur 26.

3. Whitmee S, Haines A, Beyrer C, F Boltz, Anthony GC et al. (2015) Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch:
Report of The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health. The Lancet 386: 1973-2028.

4. Moore CJ (2008) Synthetic polymers in the marine environment: a rapidly increasing, long-term threat. Environ Res 108: 131–9.

5. HI. Blanco, R. (2018) Agricultural plastic waste mapping using GIS A case study in Italy. Resources, Conservation and Recycling,
137: 229-42.

6. Andrady AL (2011) Microplastics in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62.

7. Geyer (2017) Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Sci Advances 3.

8. Barnes DKA, GF (2009) Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions
of the Royal Society of London B, 364.

9. Lau, WWY, Shiran, J Bailey, Ed Cook, Martin RS, et al. (2020) Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution. Science 369:
1455–61.

10. Frosch R, GN (1989) Strategies for manufacturing. Sci Am 261: 144–52.

11. UNEP (2014) Valuing Plastics: The Business Case for Measuring, Managing and Disclosing Plastic Use in the Consumer Goods
Industry.

12. Europe, Plastics – The Facts 2014/2015.

13. Tobías A (2020) Evaluation of the lockdowns for the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Italy and Spain after one month follow up. Sci
Tot Environ 725. Verghese KH (2015) Packaging’s role in minimizing food loss and waste across the supply chain. Packaging Tech-
nol and Sci 28: 603-20.

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

12 J Environ Pollut Manag

14. Laurent CM, Lebreton, Joost van der Zwet, Jan-Willem Damsteeg, Boyan Slat, et al. (2017) River plastic emissions to the world’s
oceans. Nature Communications 1-10.

15. Jefferson Hopewell, Robert Dvorak, Edward Kosior (2009). Plastics recycling: challenges and opportunities. Philosophical
Transaction of Royal Society 364: 2115–26.

16. Bennett, SJ (2012) Implications of climate change for the petrochemical industry: Mitigation measures and feedstock transi-
tions. Handbook of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

17. Paterlini M (2020) On the front lines of coronavirus: the Italian response to covid-19. Bmj. 2020:1–2.

18. Rethinking the future of plastics (2016) World Economic Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

19. Accenture, Circular Advantage; Accenture: Dublin. Accenture, Ireland (2014)

20. Hughes L (2018) Retrieved from https://www.ft.com: https://www.ft.com/content/31125996-f62e-11e7-88f7-5465a6ce1a00

21. Pahl, SK (2017) Channeling passion for the ocean towards plastic pollution. Nature Human Behaviour, 1: 697-9.

22. Silva ALP, Prata JC, Walker TR, Campos D, Duarte AC, et al. (2020) Rethinking and optimising plastic waste management
under COVID-19 pandemic: Policy solutions based on redesign and reduction of single-use plastics and personal protective equip-
ment. Sci Tot Environ 742.

23. Biodegradable Plastics- Developments and Environmental Impacts (2018) Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage
and the Arts, Australian Government.

24. Arora S, Bhaukhandi KD, Mishra PK (2020) Coronavirus lockdown helped the environment to bounce back. Sci Tot Environ
742.

25. BNN Bloomberg (2020) “Voluntary Efforts Curb the World’s Plastic Problem Aren’t Working”.

26. Basel Convention (2021) Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments.

27. Dutheil F, Baker JS, Navel V (2020) COVID-19 as a factor influencing air pollution? Environ Pollut 263.

28. Benioff Ocean Initiative (2020) Cutting River Plastic Waste. Retrieved 14.

29. Corbion (2016) https://www.corbion.com/media/75646/corbion_bioplastics_brochure.pdf. Retrieved July 3, 2019, from

https://www.corbion.com.

30. Cleaning Up the Garbage Patches. (n.d.). The Ocean Cleanup. Retrieved August 4, 2020, from https://theoceancleanup.com/
oceans/.

31. Hoola One – We hand the beaches back to nature. (n.d.). Hoola One. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from https://hoolaone.com/.

32. IBIS World. (2015) Global Plastic Product & Packaging Manufacturing: Market Research Report.

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

J Environ Pollut Manag 13

33. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.
Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC. 2019. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/. Accessed August 10, 2020.

34. Kitajima M, Ahmed W, Bibby K, Carducci A, Gerba CP, et al. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: State of the knowledge and
research needs. Sci Tot Environ 739: 139076.

35. Kirchherr J, Reike D, Hekkert M (2017) Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resour. Conserv
Recycl 127: 221–32.

36. L Dietz, PF Horve, DA Coil, M Fretz, JA Eisen, K van Den Wymelenberg (2019) Novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic: Built
environment considerations to reduce transmission, M-Systems 5: 457.
37. Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful? | XiaoZhi Lim | Nature | 2021

38. “NGOs and Businesses Call for UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution”. World Wildlife Fund.

39. Saadat S, Rawtani D, Hussain CM (2020) Environmental perspective Sci Tot Environ 728.

40. WHO, World Health Organization Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March. 2020.

ScholArena | www.scholarena.com Volume 3 | Issue 1

View publication stats