Integrated and Consolidated Review of Plastic Waste Management and Bio-Based Biodegradable Plastics: Challenges and Opportunities

Zvanaka S. Mazhandu, Edison Muzenda, Tirivaviri A. Mamvura, Mohamed Belaid and Trust Nhubu
Additional contact information
Zvanaka S. Mazhandu: Department of Chemical Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa
Edison Muzenda: Department of Chemical Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa
Tirivaviri A. Mamvura: Department of Chemical, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag 16, Palapye 00000, Botswana
Mohamed Belaid: Department of Chemical Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa
Trust Nhubu: Department of Chemical Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-57

Abstract: Cumulative plastic production worldwide skyrocketed from about 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 8.3 billion tonnes in 2015, with 6.3 billion tonnes (76%) ending up as waste. Of that waste, 79% is either in landfills or the environment. The purpose of the review is to establish the current global status quo in the plastics industry and assess the sustainability of some bio-based biodegradable plastics. This integrative and consolidated review thus builds on previous studies that have focused either on one or a few of the aspects considered in this paper. Three broad items to strongly consider are: Biodegradable plastics and other alternatives are not always environmentally superior to fossil-based plastics; less investment has been made in plastic waste management than in plastics production; and there is no single solution to plastic waste management. Some strategies to push for include: increasing recycling rates, reclaiming plastic waste from the environment, and bans or using alternatives, which can lessen the negative impacts of fossil-based plastics. However, each one has its own challenges, and country-specific scientific evidence is necessary to justify any suggested solutions. In conclusion, governments from all countries and stakeholders should work to strengthen waste management infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries while extended producer responsibility (EPR) and deposit refund schemes (DPRs) are important add-ons to consider in plastic waste management, as they have been found to be effective in Australia, France, Germany, and Ecuador.

Keywords: biodegradable plastics feedstocks; deposit refund scheme; extended producer responsibility; marine litter; plastic pollution impacts; single use plastics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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