The increased production of plastic materials owing to high demand for domestic and industrial purposes has led to a massive increase in plastic waste. Governments all over the world are devising effective plans to reduce environmental pollution, specifically caused by plastics and microplastics.
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The Impact of Plastics: A Brief Statistical Overview
A recent report by the European Environment Agency has highlighted that only about 9% of the plastics ever produced have been recycled, while only 12% have been incinerated.
Another report from the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation highlights a concerning projection: if effective measures are not taken to address the plastic issue, the amount of plastic in the oceans could surpass the mass of fish by 2050.
The majority of waste material (about 85%) found in aquatic ecosystems consists of plastic waste. Plastic, known for its persistence, can endure for up to 500 years in certain instances. Among the different plastic-based items, packaging materials and smaller items such as bottles, etc., make up almost 80% of the total plastic waste.
The hazards of plastics are not only confined to land rather, they also contribute to air pollution. The production of plastics leads to the release of harmful gases, with recent reports stating that 13.4 million tons of CO2 are being released in the European Union due to the production of plastics. This represents around 20% of the emissions from the chemicals industry within the EU. Addressing plastic production emissions is crucial for overall efforts to combat climate change.
Microplastics: A Major Hazard
A recent article published in Frontiers in Environmental Science focuses on the hazards of microplastics. Microplastics (MPs) are small plastic particles that are commonly found in discarded products. Primary microplastics are produced as small plastic granules for utilization in various products such as facial cleansers and air-blasting technology and as carriers for drugs in medicine. On the other hand, secondary microplastics are tiny plastic fragments that result from the degradation of larger plastic items, including primary microplastics.
Microplastics in living species such as fishes and humans can cause minor disturbances; however, in larger proportions, they can lead to mortality. Research indicates that microplastics have a significant detrimental impact on human cells, contributing to severe health issues such as cancer, respiratory diseases, and birth defects.
Biodegradable Polymeric Plastics: A Ray of Hope for the Future
Disposing of harmful plastic waste poses a substantial environmental challenge. In recent times, material scientists have shifted their focus to the development of sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics.
Npj Materials Degradation contains a recent study focusing on the importance of biodegradable polymers. As a novel material with unique properties, biodegradable polymers are the center of attention all over the world.
Biodegradable polymers, known for their rapid decomposition but often criticized for hydrophilicity and suboptimal mechanical properties, can be enhanced through polymer blending. This involves combining two or more polymers to create a composite material with improved physical characteristics. The aim is to leverage the favorable properties of each polymer and address their limitations.
Biodegradable polymers are materials designed to function for a specific duration before breaking down into easily disposable components through a controlled process. The biodegradable plastics sector shows significant potential, with microorganisms serving as a focus for exploring bioplastic materials and biopolymers utilizing agricultural residues as a growth medium.
Future research should focus on enhancing the polymeric properties of biodegradable materials by exploring combinations of different polymers in varying ratios to understand their impact on the physical and chemical properties of biopolymers.
Poly-hydroxy-alkanoates (PHA) Based Bioplastics: Frontrunners Against Plastic Pollution
In recent years, both industrial and research communities have shown significant interest in developing and manufacturing eco-friendly polymers to address ongoing environmental concerns. The journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution has a recent article highlighting the importance of PHA bioplastics as a sustainable material, leading the advancement of materials science towards sustainable polymers.
Poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are equipped with inherent unique properties, making them an ideal choice for the development of bioplastics. The bioplastics fabricated using Poly-hydroxyalkanoates are a direct and much more efficient substitute for traditional petroleum-based plastics. Additionally, these plastics can further be combined with different biological chemicals to form biodegradable polymeric plastics.
Although different types of PHA materials are available, the distinctive properties of poly-hydroxybutyrates (PHBs) make them stand out among their counterparts. PHBs are widely used in the development of bioplastics and hold significant potential for replacing conventional plastic materials on an industrial scale. Biodegradable plastics based on PHAs decompose more rapidly, breaking down into carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic chemicals.
De-polymerization: A Novel Recycling Method Combatting Pollution
The scientists from Cardiff University published a study in Polymer Chemistry introducing a new recycling method for colored polymers. Recycling plastic materials is a difficult task due to the presence of additives designed to modify their properties.
The complete removal of these additives is often impossible, resulting in recycled plastics that are substandard. This can be attributed to either inferior mechanical properties or the reprocessed polymer being tainted with pigments from the original material, diminishing its appeal to consumers.
The novel recycling method can completely recycle the colored polymers into the original constituents, enabling a circular plastic recycling economy. This is crucial to reduce the plastic waste. The depolymerization process breaks down the plastics by segregating the individual monomers and breaking them. The team is hopeful for the immense success of this method and the new polymeric material being utilized across various industries.
The recent technological advancements in materials engineering, as well as the aim to achieve sustainable development goals, have led to the development of novel materials that ensure less greenhouse emissions and are easily recycled or decomposed.
The new degradable polymer materials developed recently have much superior mechanical and chemical properties than their traditional counterparts. Additionally, new recycling and decomposition techniques for polymer materials ensure that the amount of plastic waste is reduced efficiently and swiftly to preserve the future of humans and marine life.
More from AZoM: How are Bioplastics Made?
References and Further Reading
Ellen Macarthur Foundation, (2023). The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics
European Environment Agency, (2023). Plastics. [Online]
Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/plastics?size=n_10_n&filters%5B0%5D%5Bfield%5D=readingTime&filters%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=any&filters%5B0%5D%5Bvalues%5D%5B0%5D%5Bname%5D=All&filters%5B0%5D%5Bvalues%5D%5B0%5D%5BrangeType%5D=fixed&filters%5B1%5D%5Bfi
Gold, E., (2023). What You Need To Know About The Impact Of Plastics On Human Health?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.earthday.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-impact-of-plastics-on-human-health/
Bhuyan, S. (2022). Effects of microplastics on fish and in human health. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 250. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.827289
Samir, A. et al. (2022). Recent advances in biodegradable polymers for sustainable applications. npj Mater Degrad 6, 68. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-022-00277-7
Acharjee, A. et al. (2023). PHA-Based Bioplastic: a Potential Alternative to Address Microplastic Pollution. Water Air Soil Pollut. 234. 21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-022-06029-2
Young, B. et. al. (2023). Chemically recyclable fluorescent polyesters via the ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides and anhydrides. Polymer Chemistry, 14(20), 2478-2484. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1039/D3PY00209
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