Peak Plastic: The Rise or Fall of Our Synthetic World

by Jack Buffington

Overview

Shows why plastics, in aggregate, have become a toxin to humans, wildlife, and the planet, and proposes novel solutions that involve neither traditional recycling nor giving up plastic.

"Plastics!" In the 50 years since Dustin Hoffman's character in The Graduate was instructed that this was the career field of the future, we have not been able to escape this ubiquitous but poorly understood material. Author Jack Buffington argues that the plastics crisis is careening toward a tipping point from which there will be no returban. There is still time, however, to do something about this crisis if we have the imagination and the will to move away from the failed policies of the past.

This book is the first to propose a new model for linking our synthetic world to the natural one, rather than seeking to treat them as separate entities. The key is supply chain innovation. Buffington presents five market-based solutions based on this principle that will allow consumers to continue to use plastic, which has in many ways enabled our way of life. Alongside these proposed solutions, he also addresses the proliferation of plastic as we know it—growth that, if left unchecked, will lead to a "planetary crisis," according to the United Nations—and considers how the material itself might be adapted for a sustainable future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440864162
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/02/2018
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Jack Buffington is responsible for warehousing and fulfillment for MillerCoors, and he teaches at University College and the Daniel's College of Business at the University of Denver. He is the author of The Recycling Myth.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 What Is Peak Plastic? 1

Chapter 2 The Good, Bad, and Unknown of Plastic 15

Chapter 3 The Waste-Driven Supply Chain 41

Chapter 4 2030: A Plastic Tipping Point (Peak Plastic) 57

Chapter 5 The Alternative to Peak Plastic: Exponential Thinking 75

Chapter 6 Solution 1: Stop the Bleeding 87

Chapter 7 Solution 2: Open-Source/Access Plastic (Open-Source Capitalism) 99

Chapter 8 Solution 3: Sustainable Polymerization 111

Chapter 9 Solution 4: A Closed-Loop System for Plastic 121

Chapter 10 Solution 5: Fixing the Invisibility Problem 135

Chapter 11 Summary: Make It Happen! 141

Index 151

Editorial Reviews

Given the crucial importance of this topic and the author's insightful approach, this well-written volume has much to offer students and specialists at all levels…Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels.” —Choice

From the Publisher