Ganguly Ram Kumar, Chakraborty Susanta Kumar
Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102, West Bengal, India.
Heliyon. 2024 Feb 5;10(4):e25613. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25613. eCollection 2024 Feb 29.
Global petroleum consumption suffered drastically as lockdowns were put in place to contain the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a result, oil costs dropped, making virgin plastics more cost-effective than recycled plastics. The usage of plastic has increased as a result of lifestyle modifications, cost-based incentives, and other factors, further obscuring the issue. The utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic had resulted in a significant surge in the quantity of plastic waste. The plastic packaging industry achieved a revenue milestone of US$ 909.2 billion in 2021, boosting a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 %. The escalating dependence on plastics imposed additional pressure on waste management systems, which were proven to be ineffective and insufficient in addressing the issue. This situation exacerbated the problem and contributed to environmental pollution. Globally, 40 % of plastic waste ended up in landfills, 25 % was incinerated, 16 % was recycled, and the remaining 19 % infiltrated within the environment. By investing in circular technologies like feedstock recycling and enhancing infrastructural and environmental conditions, it expected to become viable to manage plastic waste flows during such a period of crisis. Investing in valorization strategies that transform plastic waste into value-added goods, such as fuels and building materials, receives a compelling macroeconomic signal when both plastic waste and plastic demand are on the rise. A robust circular economy can be accomplished by finalising the life cycle of plastic waste. The concept of Plastic Waste Footprint (PWF) aims to assess the environmental impact of plastic products throughout their intended usage period. In the midst of the emerging challenges in waste management during and post pandemic period, this research study has been conducted to explore the challenges and strategies associated with plastic waste in the environment.
为遏制2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）而实施的封锁措施使全球石油消费量大幅下降。结果，石油成本下降，使原生塑料比再生塑料更具成本效益。由于生活方式的改变、基于成本的激励措施和其他因素，塑料的使用量有所增加，这进一步掩盖了问题。疫情期间个人防护装备（PPE）的使用导致塑料垃圾数量大幅激增。塑料包装行业在2021年实现了9092亿美元的收入里程碑，复合年增长率为5.5%。对塑料的日益依赖给废物管理系统带来了额外压力，事实证明这些系统在解决该问题方面无效且不足。这种情况加剧了问题，并导致了环境污染。在全球范围内，40%的塑料垃圾最终被填埋，25%被焚烧，16%被回收，其余19%渗透到环境中。通过投资于诸如原料回收等循环技术，并改善基础设施和环境条件，有望在这样的危机时期管理塑料废物流变得可行。当塑料垃圾和塑料需求都在上升时，投资于将塑料垃圾转化为燃料和建筑材料等增值产品的增值战略会收到一个引人注目的宏观经济信号。通过确定塑料垃圾的生命周期，可以实现强大的循环经济。塑料垃圾足迹（PWF）的概念旨在评估塑料产品在其预期使用期内对环境的影响。在疫情期间和疫情后废物管理面临新挑战的背景下，开展了这项研究，以探索与环境中塑料垃圾相关的挑战和策略。
