Cycle instead of dead end

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing global environmental problems. Since the 1950s, global plastic production has increased to several hundred million tons per year and could almost triple by 2060. Plastics are ubiquitous because of their low cost, durability and versatility, but they decompose very slowly. As a result, the burden on terrestrial and marine ecosystems is constantly increasing. About 89 percent of the plastics produced are neither recycled nor reused and often end up uncontrolled in the environment, exacerbated by hard-to-recycle composite materials and inadequate waste infrastructure in many regions. The solution requires sustainable strategies for effective plastic waste management with the goal of a circular economy. This requires technological innovations, economic incentives, clear legal requirements and a change in consumer behaviour. The article "Plastic waste management strategies: planning through sustainable lens and way forward towards circular economy" by scientists from India and Australia analyzes existing and new approaches to plastic waste recycling from a sustainability perspective. The article was published in "Discover Sustainability".