Overview

"Plastic items are a critical part of modern society and they are used in almost every aspect of our lives. One of the values of plastics for packaging and manufacturing articles is the strength and durability of the material, however, after use this durability means that the plastics remain after use and continue to accumulate in the environment indefinitely. This means that as we use more and more plastic, we will also discard an ever growing amount of plastic that will last for centuries. Today, plastics are disposed of in several ways including recycling, landfilling, incineration, composting and littering. In the US, recycling captures approximately 9% of plastics, we incinerate (burn) nearly 1% and we litter or compost less than a fraction of a percent. This leaves nearly 90% of plastic being discarded into landfills. Sustainability managers must be able to identify the most sustainable method for handling plastics after use. To be truly sustainable, we must understand what is the most environmentally and economically beneficial thing to do with plastic and embrace methods that will address the 90+ percent of plastic discarded in the landfill each year. Only by addressing these issues can we maximize our success in reducing plastic waste by creating value in the process; a system known as ""Zero Waste""."

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9781518754326

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Teresa Clark develops sustainable solutions for the materials industry. One key focus is the development of technologies that accelerate the natural bio-remediation of materials in the waste environment. It is on this subject that she created and instructed a continuing education course for the PR College of Engineers, and developed an educational program for middle school children to educate them on plastics, biodegradation and the environment which has been used in several private schools. Teresa also is a member of ASTM International within several technical sub-committees including; Rubber, Bio-technology, Waste Management, Bio-Technology, Packaging and Sustainability. She also is the Vice-Chair of Arizona Businesses Advancing Sustainability (AZBAS) where she oversees the development and implementation of sustainable strategies and educational outreach. Teresa is an avid environmentalist with experience in microbiology, chemistry, biodegradation and related environmental fields and holds a passion for sharing her knowledge with the industry. She has been a featured educational speaker at multiple conferences in the plastics, waste management and rubber industries as well as published research papers on biodegradation.

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