Plastics
Kathryn Berry, Nora Hall, Kay Critchell, Kayi Chan, Beaudin Bennett, Munro Mortimer, Phoebe Lewis
Abstract
Plastic production has grown exponentially, from 1.5 million tonnes in the 1950s (Plastics Europe 2012 ) to 359 million tonnes in 2018 (Plastics Europe 2019 ). Valued for being versatile, durable, lightweight and inexpensive to produce, plastic is used in all aspects of our daily life. Plastic has shaped the development of modern society and has benefited many sectors, including healthcare, science and technology, agriculture, packaging, transportation, and construction (Napper and Thompson 2020 ; Plastics Europe 2017 ). The largest market demand of plastic is for single-use disposable packaging materials, with approximately 50% of all plastic production going towards single-use purposes (Hopewell et al. 2009 ; Xanthos and Walker 2017 ).