Keywords Bioplastic · Synthetic polymers · Environment · Hazards · Modes of
action
14.1 Introduction
The total amount of plastics that are generated every year has been estimated around
140 million tons which are eventually made available to the ecosystem as industrial
waste products (Shimao 2001). It has been highlighted that about 30% of most of the
plastics that are utilized globally are generated from different sources after utilizing
the products which contain cosmetics, detergents, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, as
well as packaging materials for water and foods. The trends still continue to rise dayby-day at a very high exorbitant rate of 12% p.a (Sangale 2012). The utilization of
plastic has virtually replaced the place of cellulose-based products and paper as a
packaging material. This might be linked to the facts that they are resistant to
microbial attack, enhanced strength, tensile, lightness, and their durability in nature.
There are numerous types of plastics utilized for packaging purposes which
include polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (LLDPE,
LDPE, HDPE, MDPE), and polystyrene (Khanam and Mariam 2015). Moreover,
the low-density polyethylene which could be classified as a thermoplastics class
(Pramilla and Vijaya 2015) has been highlighted to be nondegradable in nature
which might be linked to its hydrophobic backbone (Myint et al. 2012).
Furthermore, some other merits of plastic polymers with large application in the
food packaging agricultural films might be linked to the fact that their durability,
cost-effectiveness, and ductility. In view of all the highlighted advantages, plastic
has been highlighted as a source of pollution which constitutes several hazards to
human and animal health. Moreover, among all the types of plastics that constitute
pollution, microplastics have been highlighted as a point of high concern because
whenever they are deposited in an aquatic environment, most of the aquatic animals
and seabirds normally feed on them. This might lead to high level of mortality as a
result of high accumulation of these microplastics in their stomach (Krueger et al.
2015; Acampora et al. 2017). This might eventually affect food chain which might
affect human health (Rillig and Bonkowski 2018; Li et al. 2015; Jabeen et al. 2017).
The application of some conventional techniques such as landfilling and incineration might result into environmental pollution, and they might also require several
amount of money toward their management (Krueger et al. 2015; Song et al. 1998).
Moreover, the recent trends toward the development of biodegradable plastic in
recent years have resulted into the minimization of environmental pollution as a
result of plastic discharged into the environment (Ioakeimidis et al. 2016; Shimao
2001).
Therefore, there is a need to search for an alternative solution to all these
challenges. The application of biodegradation is an environmental approach through
354
C. O. Adetunji and O. A. Anani
action
14.1 Introduction
The total amount of plastics that are generated every year has been estimated around
140 million tons which are eventually made available to the ecosystem as industrial
waste products (Shimao 2001). It has been highlighted that about 30% of most of the
plastics that are utilized globally are generated from different sources after utilizing
the products which contain cosmetics, detergents, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, as
well as packaging materials for water and foods. The trends still continue to rise dayby-day at a very high exorbitant rate of 12% p.a (Sangale 2012). The utilization of
plastic has virtually replaced the place of cellulose-based products and paper as a
packaging material. This might be linked to the facts that they are resistant to
microbial attack, enhanced strength, tensile, lightness, and their durability in nature.
There are numerous types of plastics utilized for packaging purposes which
include polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (LLDPE,
LDPE, HDPE, MDPE), and polystyrene (Khanam and Mariam 2015). Moreover,
the low-density polyethylene which could be classified as a thermoplastics class
(Pramilla and Vijaya 2015) has been highlighted to be nondegradable in nature
which might be linked to its hydrophobic backbone (Myint et al. 2012).
Furthermore, some other merits of plastic polymers with large application in the
food packaging agricultural films might be linked to the fact that their durability,
cost-effectiveness, and ductility. In view of all the highlighted advantages, plastic
has been highlighted as a source of pollution which constitutes several hazards to
human and animal health. Moreover, among all the types of plastics that constitute
pollution, microplastics have been highlighted as a point of high concern because
whenever they are deposited in an aquatic environment, most of the aquatic animals
and seabirds normally feed on them. This might lead to high level of mortality as a
result of high accumulation of these microplastics in their stomach (Krueger et al.
2015; Acampora et al. 2017). This might eventually affect food chain which might
affect human health (Rillig and Bonkowski 2018; Li et al. 2015; Jabeen et al. 2017).
The application of some conventional techniques such as landfilling and incineration might result into environmental pollution, and they might also require several
amount of money toward their management (Krueger et al. 2015; Song et al. 1998).
Moreover, the recent trends toward the development of biodegradable plastic in
recent years have resulted into the minimization of environmental pollution as a
result of plastic discharged into the environment (Ioakeimidis et al. 2016; Shimao
2001).
Therefore, there is a need to search for an alternative solution to all these
challenges. The application of biodegradation is an environmental approach through
354
C. O. Adetunji and O. A. Anani