The Fate of Synthetic Polymers - an Analysis on the Future of Plastic Waste

EasyChair Preprint 9594

Abstract

Synthetic polymers have been indispensable since the 1950s and have long been under scrutiny from an environmental perspective. However, there is a lack of reliable global information, especially on the fate of plastics at the end of their life. By identifying and aggregating scattered data on the production, use and disposal of polymer resins, synthetic fibres and additives, the first global analysis of all plastics ever produced was conducted in 2017 by Roland Geyer, Jenna Jambeck and Kara Lavender Law. It is estimated that between 7.3 and 8 billion tons of plastics have been produced to date. Disposal, however, remains problematic. Different studies speak of a global recycling rate of mere 9%. This paper examines the amounts of waste, the amounts of plastic added to the different recycling methods. After a short review of polymer history this paper analysis global waste management systems, waste treatment in compliance with production data, life cycles of synthetic polymers and raises pressing questions for the future.

Keyphrases: Micro plastics, Plastic Waste Management, Recycling, live-cycle of synthetic polymers, primary plastics, secondary plastics

@booklet{EasyChair:9594,
  author    = {Volker Jansen},
  title     = {The Fate of Synthetic Polymers - an Analysis on the Future of Plastic Waste},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 9594},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2023}}