Plastics are a miracle of modern chemistry. They are low-cost, lightweight, and endlessly formable. Plastics have been essential in improving food preservation, healthcare, energy efficiency, and consumer convenience. However, despite these benefits, the world’s inability to manage plastic waste has led to a pollution crisis with adverse effects on the environment and public health. Although they don’t biodegrade, plastics do breakdown into micro and nano particles. Recent research indicates that these particles can penetrate the blood brain barrier and become lodged in brain tissue. The problem is not just the polymers themselves, but the chemical additives included in the formulation of plastics to modify properties. Chemical additives can make plastics more rigid, more flexible, resistant to fire, oxidation or UV light, or even add antimicrobial properties. Currently, there are more than 70,000 formulations of plastic on the market made from over 16,000 chemical species, including over 4,200 which are chemicals of concern. The long term health effects caused by plastic particles lodging in soft tissue and leaching chemicals by diffusion are largely unknown.
In an attempt to combat this crisis, in 2022, United Nations Resolution 5/14 to End Plastic Pollution with a Legally Binding Instrument by 2024 launched a series of negotiating sessions to develop a treaty to end the global plastic pollution crisis. Although the world has yet to reach agreement on a globally binding treaty, negotiations continue. Unfortunately, solutions that may be appropriate for highly developed countries are often impractical in low-GDP countries. Multiple factors, including the lack of strong governmental authority, insufficient infrastructure, and low value placed on human health versus economic development, tend to exacerbate the plastic pollution problem. Although low-GDP countries are typically only minor plastic producers, they often bear the brunt of mismanaged waste and the pollution it brings. The role of the informal sector is also important in low-GDP countries, where waste pickers often play a significant role in collecting and sorting waste, including recycling. As a result, potential solutions appropriate for low-GDP countries must be safe, simple, low-cost, and community driven.
This seminar will focus on the current scope of the plastic pollution crisis and the specific environmental and public health challenges it causes. Additionally, the key challenges of waste plastic management globally and in low-GDP countries and some of the initiatives in place to address these challenges will be presented. Finally, the results of a case study from a small-scale, appropriate technology-based plastic-to-fuel project in Harare, Zimbabwe will be presented