An overview of present treatment and valorification methods used for plastic waste

Abstract

The most frequently used methods for recycling and treating plastic waste, with their advantages and disadvantages were analyzed and investigated. Plastic waste presents a slow degradation rate in nature, almost one thousand years, therefore it is important to address this type of pollution, by finding the most sustainable methods in reducing the percentage of plastic that ends up in landfills or in the ocean. The negative impact of plastic waste includes bioaccumulation in organisms by exposure to micro and nano plastics that end up in the environment from degrading macroplastics or directly from products that contain microplastic, like exfoliating personal care products.