Includes bibliographical references and index.

The issue of Plastics in the environment has attracted widespread attention from the scientific community as well as from the informed general public. Plastics offer a variety of environmental benefits. However, their production, applications, and disposal present many environmental concerns. Some of these are real and justified while others have little support in fact. Plastics and Environmental Sustainability presents a clear analysis of the key plastic-related issues, citing the research base that supports or contradicts the popularly held notions while focusing on three key areas; the plastics industry that discusses its scope and societal benefits; the post-consumer fate of plastics on land and in the oceans, highlighting the environmental impacts of disposal methods; and toxicity of plastics, particularly as it applies to human health. Plastics and Environmental Sustainability features: Discussions on post-consumer fate of plastics on land and in the oceans, highlighting the environmental impacts of disposal methods. Toxicity of plastics, particularly as it applies to human health. A clear analysis of the key plastic-related issues including numerous citations of the research base that supports and contradicts the popularly held notions. This highly readable volume treats the subject of plastics and sustainability in a balanced and critical manner for the technical reader. Despite it's multidisciplinary content covered in it, the author guides the reader through the economics, technology and assessment of data pertaining to the topic.

SACFinal081324