Plastic is a highly versatile material with numerous beneficial applications and has become an essential part of modern everyday life. As global demand continues to increase, forecasts suggest that annual plastic production could soon approach one billion tonnes. Plastics are widely used in computers, clothing, mobile devices, televisions, aircraft, packaging, construction materials, paints, and countless other industrial and consumer applications. There are currently no fully satisfactory substitutes for plastics due to their unique properties: they are cost-effective, durable, lightweight, easy to manufacture at scale, and highly adaptable to a wide range of applications — characteristics that traditional materials such as wood, metal, and glass cannot fully replicate. Modern society depends heavily on plastics and their unique functional properties.
After Use, Plastic Waste Becomes a Major Environmental Challenge
The same properties that make plastics highly useful also make plastic waste a significant environmental challenge. Plastic waste exists in many different forms, as there are numerous types of plastic polymers that are frequently mixed together within waste streams. Plastics degrade very slowly and can remain in the environment for decades. Only a small fraction of the plastic produced globally is currently recycled. Most plastic waste is either landfilled, incinerated, or released into the environment, contributing to increasing levels of plastic pollution in oceans and ecosystems worldwide. Plastic waste has become a major environmental and societal challenge.
New Technologies Can Help Protect the Environment and Improve Sustainability
Due to the limitations of existing recycling methods, new technological solutions are required to address the growing challenge of plastic waste. Advanced chemical recycling is increasingly being recognized as an important component in the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy by helping recover value from plastic waste and reducing dependence on fossil-based resources.
