Plastics: Establishing the Path to Zero Waste: A pragmatic approach to sustainable management of plastic materials

Plastic items are a critical part of modern society and they are used in almost every aspect of our lives. One of the values of plastics for packaging and manufacturing articles is the strength and durability of the material, however, after use this durability means that the plastics remain after use and continue to accumulate in the environment indefinitely. This means that as we use more and more plastic, we will also discard an ever growing amount of plastic that will last for centuries. Today, plastics are disposed of in several ways including recycling, landfilling, incineration, composting and littering. In the US, recycling captures approximately 9% of plastics, we incinerate (burn) nearly 1% and we litter or compost less than a fraction of a percent. This leaves nearly 90% of plastic being discarded into landfills. Sustainability managers must be able to identify the most sustainable method for handling plastics after use. To be truly sustainable, we must understand what is the most environmentally and economically beneficial thing to do with plastic and embrace methods that will address the 90+ percent of plastic discarded in the landfill each year. Only by addressing these issues can we maximize our success in reducing plastic waste by creating value in the process; a system known as "Zero Waste".

Author: Teresa M. Clark

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Oct 27, 2015

Number of Pages: 204 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1518754325

ISBN-13: 9781518754326