Advances in plastic pollution prevention and their fragile effects on soil, water, and air continuums

Plastics are flexible and can be molded and pressed into solid things in a range of shapes and sizes, allowing them to be widely used in several fields of life. A rising accretion of plastic wastes has become a serious societal and environmental problem. Various forms of plastics may disrupt soil or land and the aquatic continuum in a variety of ways. Microbial and enzymatic biodegradation has been reported recently, which opens the door to developing biological treatment methods for plastic trash. Various aspects that interrupt the enzymatic and microbiological processes motivate the scientist to search for new sustainable procedures that have fewer or no detrimental effects. Therefore, finding new ways to get rid of plastic wastes is crucial. In this review, we have briefly described the microbes and enzymes capable of degrading a wide range of commonly used synthetic plastics, including polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate. Furthermore, we have emphasized plastic products depolymerization through nanotechnology and genetic engineering, as well as current efforts to use such products as fuel sources, light-weight steel, and aluminum manufacture of high-value compounds. Taken together, these results will lead to the development of a concept for bio-upcycling plastic wastes by establishing a link between plastic waste biodegradation and the production of valuable compounds by microorganisms. Finally, but certainly not least, the solutions that can be readily implemented by humans are also considered.