Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Disposal of Plastics in the Sea - Policies
Varadarajan Sampath
5.1 Introduction
Plastic is widely used because of its light weight, strength, durability, versatility,
and low cost. Plastic is used in many everyday items including: bags, bottles, cups,
forks, spoons, straws, toys, tools including strapping bands, plastic sheeting, packing
materials and ishing gear.
In response to ever-changing demand, the plastics industry is constantly developing,
and expanding with the use of advanced technology, as shown by the increasing
use of plastics in vehicle manufacturing, continued growth in the market share of
bio-plastics and continued innovation and improvements such as weight reduction
of individual items [1].
It is reported that over the past 50 years, there has been a very steep rise in plastics
production, especially in Asia. The European Union (EU) accounts for around 25%
of world production and China accounts for about 15%. Polyethylene (PE) has the
highest share of production of any polymer type, while four sectors: packaging,
construction, automotive, and electrical and electronic equipment represent 72% of
plastics demand. The rest includes sectors such as household, furniture, agriculture
and medical devices [1]. Global plastics production, is estimated to have fallen from
245 million tonnes in 2008 to around 230 million tonnes in 2009 as a result of the
economic crisis. However, in
2012, global production of plastics reached 288 million
metric tons. China is the largest producer of plastics in the world, accounting for
23.9% of the global share in 2012, followed by Europe - 20.4%.
In many countries,
single-use plastic carrier bags are given free to customers in many
grocery stores, retail stores, take away food locations and pharmacies. There are
two main types of single-use, plastic carrier bags, high-density polyethylene (HDPE),
lighter weight bags used primarily by grocery stores and restaurants and low-density
polyethylene (LDPE), thicker, glossier bags used at other types of stores.
