Plastic Waste to Value: Desirable Technology Interventions

Plastics were designed to be materials that did not biodegrade so that they could be in use, over a longer period without losing strength, etc. With time, plastics replaced conventional materials such as metals, wood, leather, paper, etc., for industrial and household applications. Plastics are the materials of choice and are called wonder materials. Replacing wood and paper saved forests and replacing metal brought down transport costs as well as improved performance per kg of materials used. However, disposal of single-use plastics created environmental issues forcing policymakers across the globe to ban plastics. Instead of putting the proper systems and infrastructure to manage the disposal of plastic waste, municipal authorities opt for an easy solution to this problem by banning single-use plastics. Plastic waste ending up in oceans through rivers is a matter of concern today as it is responsible for killing organisms and species. For a circular economy, creating value from waste plastics is essential. This chapter deals with various aspects of plastic waste, mainly to bring out the state-of-the-art technologies adopted to create value from plastic waste. It provides answers to key questions: Why plastics? What are plastics? How are they different from polymers? What are the properties of plastics? Why is plastic waste a cause of concern? How to convert plastic waste into valuable products? What technology interventions are required to create value from plastic waste? A path forward for managing plastic waste?