ABSTRACT
The recycling and disposal of organic plastic materials is of great significance and has become critical despite the fact that polymeric materials are relatively new (discovered just over a century ago) compared to traditional materials such as wood, metals, glass, and concrete. For almost a century now, organic plastic materials have been a daily presence in our everyday lives and activities. Plastic materials are ubiquitous, used in packaging, bags, film covers and containers, and building and construction. However, most thermoplastics are nondegradable and their disposal, especially in the big cities, has become a big concern and an issue characterized by negative press and environmental activism. Nonetheless, these materials are here to stay and have become extremely beneficial to society. Furthermore, there are sophisticated applications of plastic materials: as clinical implants; in greenhouses and irrigation for increasing and improving agricultural outputs; in automotive applications as bumpers; and in fuel tanks and other engineering parts in cars. They also find increasing use as composites in strong, tough, and lightweight structures and devices for the aircraft and aerospace industries.
