Is the Plastic Pandemic a Greater Threat to Humankind than COVID-19?

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic hasinitiated a radical attention shift of society toward the severeconsequences it has had over human health, shadowing asymmetrically, if not more,important issue of the rapidintensification in the amount of plastic waste that has beengenerated over the due course of time. Such a growth in the plasticfootprint across the globe has led to a carbon positive environmentwith an increased amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) releaseddue to the processing of the waste plastic. We aim to address and provide our perception to this pressing challenge that can bedecoded via the advancement of upcycling technologies, utilized and augmented worldwide. With the establishment of suchsustainable policies and strategies, the global plastic footprint can be systematically mitigated, accelerating the world into economiccircularity and environmental sustainability.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted society's attention towards the consequences on human health, while neglecting the rapid increase in plastic waste. By advancing upcycling technologies, we can reduce the global plastic footprint and achieve economic circularity and environmental sustainability.