Abstract

The consumption behavior of contemporary society, based on products with reduced useful life, combined with poor and inefficient waste management systems, contributes greatly to the accumulation of materials in the environment. For decades, the level of urban pollution has been alarming. Rivers, seas, oceans, and even forest environments are relentless victims of the disregard that many governments have for the environmental issue. Fortunately, this behavior is changing. With the efforts of some political leaders and the activism of organized civil society, along with the engagement of corporations, environmental health stands out on international agendas. Discussions about sustainable practices in companies and a more vibrant performance of different actors in relation to this topic have boosted improvements regarding waste production. However, this is still hardly enough. Every year, tons of polymeric material are inappropriately disposed of without any sort of treatment [1]. This amount is constituted by several types of packaging, toys, fabrics, automotive components [2], and also in the form of hybrid materials in the composition of which there is at least some polymer component. Although the disposal of polymers causes undeniable impact on the environment [3-15], they have the potential to be reused, reclaimed, and/or recycled [16].