Bruce C. Gibb explains why plastic isn’t always fantastic.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Exploration of PVC@SiO2 nanostructure for adsorption of methylene blue via using quartz crystal microbalance technology
Scientific Reports Open Access 10 November 2023
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R. & Law, K. L. Sci. Adv. 3, e1700782 (2017).
Wright, S. L. & Kelly, F. J. BMJ 358, j4334 (2017).
Plastics – The Facts 2018 (Plastics Europe, 2018).
Brooks, A. L., Wang, S. & Jambeck, J. R. Sci. Adv. 4, eaat0131 (2018).
Velis, C. A. Global Recycling Markets: Plastic Waste (International Solid Waste Association, 2014).
Announcement of releasing the Catalogues of Imported Wastes Management Announcement no. 39 (Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2017).
Jambeck, J. R. et al. Science 347, 768–771 (2015).
Bergmann, M., Gutow, L. & Klages, M. (eds) Marine Anthropogenic Litter (Springer International Publishing, New York, 2015).
van Sebille, E. et al. Environ. Res. Lett. 10, 124006 (2015).
Al-Sid-Cheikh, M. et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 52, 14480–14486 (2018).
Gasperi, J. et al. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sci. & Health 1, 1–5 (2018).
Rocha-Santos, T. A. P. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sci. & Health 1, 52–54 (2018).
Neimark, J. Microplastics are turning up everywhere, even in human excrement (National Public Radio, 2018); https://go.nature.com/2uu8ViO
Lamb, J. B. et al. Science 359, 460–462 (2018).
A Scientific Perspective on Microplastics in Nature and Society (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies, 2018).
Alberg, A. J., Shopland, D. R. & Cummings, K. M. Am. J. Epidemiol. 179, 403–412 (2014).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Twitter: @brucecgibb
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gibb, B.C. Plastics are forever. Nat. Chem. 11, 394–395 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-019-0260-7
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-019-0260-7
This article is cited by
-
Nanocomposites of chito-oligosaccharide grafted boron nitride nanosheets/carboxymethyl cellulose for thermal management of flexible electronic devices
Cellulose (2025)
-
Chemical recycling of polyolefin waste: from the perspective of efficient pyrolysis reactors
Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering (2024)
-
Biodegradable material based on starch-g-polyvinyl acetate copolymer with bactericidal properties
Polymer Bulletin (2024)
-
Enhancing polyethylene degradation: a novel bioprocess approach using Acinetobacter nosocomialis pseudo-resting cells
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2024)
-
End-of-life upcycling of polyurethanes using a room temperature, mechanism-based degradation
Nature Chemistry (2023)