Plastic is part of our every day life and a great commodity
Plastic is a material with many beneficial applications and has become part of our everyday lives. For this reason, forecasts suggest that up to a billion tonnes could be produced every year soon. We use plastic in computers, clothes, cell phones, TVs, aircraft, packaging, building and construction, and even paint. There are currently no satisfactory replacements for plastic, because of its unique properties: it's inexpensive, durable, easy to produce in bulk and easy to shape - properties that wood, metal and glass are unable to match. We depend significantly on plastic and its amazing properties.
After its use plastic becomes a major challenge for our environment
The greatest challenge is that the very same properties that make plastic great to use, also make it a huge threat to the environment. Plastic waste comes in many different forms as there are approximately 50 different types of plastic molecules which are often being mixed. Plastic does not decompose and it stays in the environment for decades. Only a tenth of the plastic that is produced today is recycled. Most of the plastic wasted is either landfilled, incinerated or leaked into the environment, as seen through the rising levels of plastic in our oceans. Platic waste is a major problem for our societies.
New technologies may enable us to protect our enviroment and our lives
Given technological challenges with current recycling methods, new solutions are required to solve the growing problem of plastic waste, and chemical recycling is becoming recognised as a key component in the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, decoupling plastic production from fossil-fuel sources and recovering value from plastic waste.
