Page 42 - Plastics News March 2025
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FEATURE NEWS
a 97% recovery rate. tential emerged to turn the plastic industry into
an absolute waste-free operation? The appro-
The appropriate implementation of strategies priate plans could provide success in this sce-
demonstrates that a circular economic model is nario.
feasible for practical application.
Conclusion
The Future of Plastics in a Circular Economy
A circular economy transition in the plastic in-
The worldwide plastic evolution will result from dustry encounters several obstacles but offers
joined partnerships together with modern tech- organizations the prospect to develop innova-
niques and regulatory frameworks and techno- tive sustainable solutions. Through technological
logical development. Sustainable packaging de- investments we can use recycling methods to
velopment by corporations along with consumer transform plastic from accumulated waste into
adoption of proper disposal practices constitute valuable resources by increasing awareness and
two essential elements for change. Governments sustaining government policies for plastic man-
need to establish strict regulations and support agement. We need to determine when we can
measures which will motivate transformation. implement this transition to prevent plastic con-
tamination from becoming unfixable. The time to
Businesses together with governments and con-
sumers need to unite in order to establish the act is now.
circular economy framework. Has the future po- Source – Plastics Technology
Advancing Microplastics Characterization
with FT-IR Microscopy
he growing concern over microplastic
pollution has spurred the development of
Tadvanced analytical techniques to detect,
identify, and quantify these tiny contaminants.
Defined as plastic particles ranging from 1 micron
to 5 millimeters, microplastics are now pervasive
in air, soil, and water due to the degradation of
nearly 400 million tons of plastic produced an-
nually. To address this environmental challenge,
researchers increasingly rely on Fourier Trans-
form Infrared (FT-IR) Microscopy and Imaging, a
powerful tool for microplastic characterization.
Why It’s Important to Characterize Microplastics
42 PLASTICS NEWS March 2025
