Plastics and the environment: a pressing global issue

Today it is well established that the current levels of plastic pollution are unsustainable, cause serious harm to human health, livelihoods, food systems, and to the environment. Unsurprisingly, due to the long-lasting nature of polymers, all plastics ever produced are still with us in different formats from finished products and recycled products to a wide array of wastes from macro to nano particles, today found in almost all ecosystems (Geyer, Jambeck, Law, 2017). Evidence is also growing about the significant impact it has on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change (Royer, Ferrón, Wilson, and Karl, 2018). As well as the fact that plastic pollution not only has multiple dimensions (air, soil, freshwater and oceans), but it also occurs across the life cycle of plastics production, use and disposal and affects all countries, including those that are not the main producers or users of plastics.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Responsible Consumption and Production