Plastic Waste Management for Environmental Protection

Dear Colleagues,

Plastics are considered one of the most serious environmental global concerns as they are ubiquitous and contribute to the increased pollution. Their applications include packaging, building and construction, textiles, medicine, consumer products, transportation, electronics, and electrical and industrial machinery. The extensive use of plastics has generated a large amount of waste stored in natural environments. Approximately 300 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year. The time and environmental degradation of plastic waste have led to their breakdown into microplastics (<5 mm in diameter) and even nanoplastics (<100 nm in at least one dimension) arriving in rivers, lakes, and oceans. People can consume between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year. The toxicological effect and ecological impact of these plastic particles on living organisms is not deeply understood. Promising analytical methods for assessing micro and nanoplastics are awaiting disclosure. Researchers and manufacturers are focusing on turning plastic waste into new products in a circular economy concept. These aspects need to be addressed urgently in order to improve knowledge around plastic pollution. The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather innovative ideas regarding hazard problems that could prevent the formation of more polymeric waste. Original papers and reviews are envisaged to reveal the most valuable solutions for reducing or using polymer waste in order to protect the environment. The issue topics include but are not limited to the circular economy for plastic waste, plastic recycling, degradation of polymers in natural environments, microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment, special methods for the characterization of nanoplastics, and risk assessment of plastic waste for human health and the environment.

Dr. Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niță
Dr. Maria Râpă
Guest Editors

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