Plastic Waste Pollution and Mitigation Strategies

Plastic consumption increases with the growing population worldwide and results in increased quantities of plastic waste. It is estimated that the production of plastics increased nearly 200 fold and it is fairly related to two third of the world population. Plastics are widely used in packing of materials ideal for food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents and chemicals. Around 30% of plastics are consumed as packaging material throughout the world. Over the last century, humanity has learned how to create different types of plastics that are stronger, lighter, and more flexible than previous materials. The plastic wastes litters everywhere when not well discarded/disposed affecting the wildlife, wildlife habitat, humans and producing chocking, and pungent odour. Therefore, plastic pollution can affect land, waterways and oceans. The animals exposed to plastic pollution suffer from developmental defects with lesser birth weights for exposure to bisphenol in fishes and reptiles, long term exposure may lead to stall egg hatching and decreased body weight, tail length, and body length. Humans also affected by plastic pollution and suffering from many disorders like heart, stomach, and cancer cases. The book includes plastic waste management strategies, oceanic microplastic pollution, mitigation of plastic wastes in marine environment, plastic pollution causes, effects and preventions, plastic waste management for welfare of society and sustainable world, plastic waste problems and its effective management strategies, potentially viable methods to reduce impacts of plastic waste on the environment, roadmap to biodegradable plastics, single use plastics and marine pollution