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Thailand has ratified the Basel Convention and is adhering to its restrictions on the importation of plastic scrap. The Thai government has enforced limitations to decrease the influx of plastic scrap imports, thereby protecting the ecosystem. However, Thailand has emerged as a prominent global hub for the export of plastic waste due to its tax-free zone plastic recycling programs and China’s ban on such imports in 2018. Thailand’s importation of plastic waste for recycling has caused worries due to the accumulation of plastic garbage in the environment. Plastic can be found in seafood, drinking water, rivers, sediments, and wastewater treatment facilities. Thailand is becoming more cautious about importing plastic scraps for recycling due to concerns over the health hazards associated with contaminated plastic. The importation of plastic can significantly impact those engaged in the collection and trade of plastic scrap. Consequently, there are discrepancies in both company operations and plastic management. The ban on plastic scrap imports in Thailand set for 2025 is expected to reduce environmental and human health issues; however, it may also impact the plastic recycling industries and economies both regionally and globally. To address the issue of plastic waste infiltrating the global environment, all nations need to work together at both the regional and global levels to establish effective plastic waste management practices, avoiding the practice of transferring plastic waste to other countries.

With the huge amount of plastics floating in the oceans, fish and other sea creatures are directly suffering the consequences. On land, city leaders and planners are banning one-use plastics as well as plastic bags from grocery stores in an effort to stem the use. Many countries have made official announcements and warnings concerning the pollution caused from plastic wastes. These urgent developments have stimulated the author to study the problem and write this book. Plastic recycling refers to a method that retrieves the original plastic material. However, there are many sophisticated methods available for the treatment and management of waste plastics such as basic primary recycling, where the materials are sorted and collected individually. In chemical recycling, the monomers and related compounds are processed by special chemical treatments. Other methods, such as pyrolysis, can produce fuels from waste plastics. These methods and others are treated comprehensively in the book.

The crisis facing the world's oceans from plastics is well documented, yet there is little knowledge of the perspectives, experiences and options of the coastal communities facing overwhelming quantities of plastics on their beaches and in their fishing waters. In emerging economies such as those in the Coral Triangle, the communities affected are among the poorest of their countries. To understand the consequences of ocean plastic pollution in coastal regions, through the eyes of local people, this study examines the knowledge, use, disposal and local consequences of single use plastics in remote island communities in two archipelagos of southern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using mixed methods-a survey of plastic literacy and behaviour, household interviews about purchasing and disposal, and focus group discussions to generate shared mental models-we identify a complex set of factors contributing to extensive plastic leakage into the marine environment. The rising standard of living has allowed people in low resource, remote communities to buy more single-use plastic items than they could before. Meanwhile complex geography and minimal collection services make waste management a difficult issue, and leave the communities themselves to shoulder the impacts of the ocean plastic crisis. Although plastic literacy is low, there is little the coastal communities can do unless presented with better choice architecture both on the supply side and in disposal options. Our results suggest that for such coastal communities improved waste disposal is urgent. Responsible supply chains and non-plastic alternatives are needed. Producers and manufacturers can no longer focus only on low-cost packaged products, without taking responsibility for the outcomes. Without access to biodegradable, environmentally friendly products, and a circular plastic system, coastal communities and surrounding marine ecosystems will continue to be inundated in plastic waste.

Innovation in plastic waste recycling technologies is essential for tackling the environmental challenges of plastic pollution. Traditional plastic waste management strategies, such as landfill disposal and mechanical recycling, are increasingly recognized as insufficient for addressing the problem’s complexity and scale. This review highlights advanced methods that transform plastic waste into valuable resources, aligning with circular economy principles. I focus on cutting-edge technologies such as chemical recycling that convert mixed and contaminated plastics back into monomers for new production. Biological approaches utilizing enzymes and microorganisms are studied for their potential to biodegrade resistant plastics like PET. Additionally, mechanical innovations like advanced sorting techniques leveraging AI and compatibilization strategies that enhance the quality of recycled materials are discussed. By analyzing recent developments and practical applications, effective and economically viable solutions are identified. These findings emphasize that ongoing technological advancements, supported by robust policies and stakeholder collaboration, are crucial for reducing plastic waste and advancing toward a sustainable circular economy.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate the efficacy of an intervention remain underutilized in community-based environmental health research. RCTs that use a pragmatic design emphasize the effectiveness of interventions in complex, real world settings. Pragmatic trials may be especially relevant when community-based interventions address social and environmental determinants that threaten health equity. The revised Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS-2) is a validated tool developed in 2015 by trialists to ensure that clinical trials are designed to fit their intended purpose, with an assessment of applicability of the trial results to specific contexts. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to ask Ecolectivos study investigators and external implementation scientists to evaluate the Ecolectivos study protocol using the PRECIS-2 tool prior to the launch of the trial. Ecolectivos is an implementation science study, using a village-level cluster randomized controlled trial design, to assess a behavioral intervention to reduce household plastic waste burning in rural Guatemala. We invited 60 researchers to participate in an online survey between February 2022 and January 2023. Respondents were asked to review the Ecolectivos study protocol and provide scores for the nine PRECIS-2 domains (eligibility, recruitment, setting, organization, flexibility-delivery, flexibility-adherence, follow-up, primary outcome, and primary analysis), with short responses explaining their score. The PRECIS-2 tool is used to assess the degree of pragmatism, ranked on a five-point Likert scale from very explanatory (Checkley W, 2022) to very pragmatic (Ashcraft LE, 2024). Descriptive statistics were used to compare responses between Ecolectivos investigators and external evaluators. Twenty-five respondents provided data. Among the nine domains, four were rated as pragmatic-eligibility, setting, flexibility-delivery, and primary analysis. Four were evaluated to be equally pragmatic as explanatory-recruitment, organization, flexibility-adherence, and primary outcome. One domain was primarily explanatory in nature-follow-up. Only one domain, eligibility, was statistically significantly different between Ecolectivos investigators and external evaluators, demonstrating that the two groups were broadly consistent in their opinions in eight of the nine study domains. Using the PRECIS-2 tool, we found that our study protocol was viewed as more pragmatic than explanatory, providing evidence to support the pragmatic approach of the Ecolectivos study goals, which is to reduce burning of plastic waste and plastic use in community settings using a behavioral intervention. By evaluating the degree of pragmatism within the nine domains, PRECIS-2 guides investigators to think about the applicability of potential results. Investigator assessment and communication regarding intervention protocols for community-level environmental interventions, their degree of pragmatism, and external validity are important for identifying strategies to address complex community problems. Our findings contribute to the growing body of literature that addresses greater research utility through pragmatic trial design, tying community environmental health interventions to the rigor of implementation science strategies.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate the efficacy of an intervention remain underutilized in community-based environmental health research. RCTs that use a pragmatic design emphasize the effectiveness of interventions in complex, real world settings. Pragmatic trials may be especially relevant when community-based interventions address social and environmental determinants that threaten health equity. The revised Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS-2) is a validated tool developed in 2015 by trialists to ensure that clinical trials are designed to fit their intended purpose, with an assessment of applicability of the trial results to specific contexts. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to ask Ecolectivos study investigators and external implementation scientists to evaluate the Ecolectivos study protocol using the PRECIS-2 tool prior to the launch of the trial. Ecolectivos is an implementation science study, using a village-level cluster randomized controlled trial design, to assess a behavioral intervention to reduce household plastic waste burning in rural Guatemala. We invited 60 researchers to participate in an online survey between February 2022 and January 2023. Respondents were asked to review the Ecolectivos study protocol and provide scores for the nine PRECIS-2 domains (eligibility, recruitment, setting, organization, flexibility-delivery, flexibility-adherence, follow-up, primary outcome, and primary analysis), with short responses explaining their score. The PRECIS-2 tool is used to assess the degree of pragmatism, ranked on a five-point Likert scale from very explanatory (Checkley W, 2022) to very pragmatic (Ashcraft LE, 2024). Descriptive statistics were used to compare responses between Ecolectivos investigators and external evaluators. Twenty-five respondents provided data. Among the nine domains, four were rated as pragmatic-eligibility, setting, flexibility-delivery, and primary analysis. Four were evaluated to be equally pragmatic as explanatory-recruitment, organization, flexibility-adherence, and primary outcome. One domain was primarily explanatory in nature-follow-up. Only one domain, eligibility, was statistically significantly different between Ecolectivos investigators and external evaluators, demonstrating that the two groups were broadly consistent in their opinions in eight of the nine study domains. Using the PRECIS-2 tool, we found that our study protocol was viewed as more pragmatic than explanatory, providing evidence to support the pragmatic approach of the Ecolectivos study goals, which is to reduce burning of plastic waste and plastic use in community settings using a behavioral intervention. By evaluating the degree of pragmatism within the nine domains, PRECIS-2 guides investigators to think about the applicability of potential results. Investigator assessment and communication regarding intervention protocols for community-level environmental interventions, their degree of pragmatism, and external validity are important for identifying strategies to address complex community problems. Our findings contribute to the growing body of literature that addresses greater research utility through pragmatic trial design, tying community environmental health interventions to the rigor of implementation science strategies.

Rural areas are exposed to severe environmental pollution issues fed by industrial and agricultural activities combined with poor waste and sanitation management practices, struggling to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with Agenda 2030. Rural communities are examined through a “dual approach” as both contributors and receivers of plastic pollution leakage into the natural environment (through the air–water–soil–biota nexus). Despite the emerging trend of plastic pollution research, in this paper, we identify few studies investigating rural communities. Therefore, proxy analysis of peer-reviewed literature is required to outline the significant gaps related to plastic pollution and plastic waste management issues in rural regions. This work focuses on key stages such as (i) plastic pollution effects on rural communities, (ii) plastic pollution generated by rural communities, (iii) the development of a rural waste management sector in low- and middle-income countries in line with the SDGs, and (iv) circular economy opportunities to reduce plastic pollution in rural areas. We conclude that rural communities must be involved in both future plastic pollution and circular economy research to help decision makers reduce environmental and public health threats, and to catalyze circular initiatives in rural areas around the world, including less developed communities.

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic debris having a size ≤ 5 mm. The detrimental impact of MPs on the environment and, consequently, their dangerous effects on human health (emerging risk) have attracted much attention in recent years. Contamination by microplastics is difficult to measure, due to the non-standardization of collection, detection, and analysis techniques. This work consists of a bibliographic review of the analysis of the pros and cons of the various existing legislations at the international level, identifying the possible legislative gaps, intending to improve the efficiency of implementation of new policies on plastics and microplastics, offering the possible recommendations to address potential human and environmental health hazards caused by MPs pollution. Future studies on the mentioned subject should focus on a uniformity of methodology for the determination of microplastics and at the same time, offer help to governments, to write a legislative policy on plastics that is valid at the international level, to help the green earth and completely avoid the risk to human health.

Pyrolysis and hydrocracking of plastic waste can produce valuable products with manageable effects on the environment as compared to landfilling and incineration. This research focused on the process simulation and life cycle assessment of the pyrolysis and hydrocracking of high-density polyethylene. Aspen Plus was used as the simulator and the Peng-Robinson thermodynamic model was employed as a fluid package. Additionally, sensitivity analysis was conducted in order to optimize product distribution. Based on the simulation, the hydrocracking process produced value-added fuels, i.e., gasoline and natural gas. In contrast, pyrolysis generated a significant quantity of pyrolysis oil with a high number of cyclo-compounds and char, which are the least important to be utilized as fuels. Moreover, in the later part of the study, life cycle assessment (LCA) was adopted in order to investigate and quantify their impact upon the environment using simulation inventory data, which facilitates finding a sustainable process. Simapro was used as a tool for LCA of the processes and materials used. The results demonstrate that hydrocracking is a better process in terms of environmental impact in 10 out of the 11 impact categories. Overall, the present study proposed a promising comparison based on energy demands, product distribution, and potential environmental impacts, which will help to improve plastic waste management.