Plastics and Sustainability

The annual global plastic production in 2018 was greater than 360 million tons (megatons; Mt). This is a more than 20-fold increase from the plastic production in the 1960s. The production volumes keep increasing, and the plastic production is anticipated to further double in the next 20 years. Plastics and other polymeric materials are an essential part of our daily lives and modern society with applications ranging from packaging to agriculture, transportation, buildings and construction, energy production and healthcare (Fig. 9.1).