Plastics: Sustainable Development Goals and Circular Solutions

Abstract Plastics are ubiquitous in the global economy. However, their benefits must be offset against the harm caused by a throw-away culture and poor waste management practices. This tension is apparent in the key role played by plastics in public health safeguarding during the COVID-19 pandemic, set against the significant generation of plastic residues, accompanied by an increase in water pollution due to their incorrect disposal. The Scopus database was interrogated to identify literature on the role of plastics in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Bibliometric analysis and mapping indicated that the principal keywords were as follows, in order of frequency of occurrence: circular economy, sustainability, COVID-19, plastic pollution, life cycle assessment, waste management, environment, microplastics, plastic waste, and sustainable development. Despite contributing to the achievement of at least 15 SDGs, overall, pollution caused by plastics (principally marine pollution) outperformed the totality of their positive roles in achieving the SDGs. However, the study also highlighted the fundamental role of the circular economy with strategies such as reduction, recycling and service life extension as potential solutions to the socio-environmental problems that plastics may cause, and as a key ally in achieving the SDGs, principally SDGs 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.