Abstract
Oceans are a major source of biodiversity, they provide livelihood, and regulate the global ecosystem by absorbing heat and CO2 . However, they are highly polluted with plastic waste. We are discussing here microbial biotechnology advances with the view to improve the start and the end of life of biodegradable polymers, which could contribute to the sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems (UN Sustainability development goal 14).
Highlights
In 2015, global plastic production reached 322 million tonnes, with China accounting for 27.8% of world’s plastic production, followed by the EU and USA contributing 18.5% each to world plastic production (Europe, 2016)
Data on microplastic concentrations and toxicity seem to be open for debate (Cressey, 2016)
Biodegradable polymers are degradable in nature and include polylactic acid (PLA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)
Summary
In 2015, global plastic production reached 322 million tonnes, with China accounting for 27.8% of world’s plastic production, followed by the EU and USA contributing 18.5% each to world plastic production (Europe, 2016). To reduce or prevent the negative impacts of post-consumer plastic waste, society could replace conventional plastic materials with biodegradable counterparts. Biodegradable plastics can contribute to a more sustainable society using renewable resources, contribute to the reduction in CO2 emissions during production and offer new end-of-life management options that have a lower or no negative impact on the environment (EC, 2013a; Bioplastics, 2016).
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