There is no denying that plastic waste is a major environmental problem which needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency. Plastic is manufactured from hydrocarbons and approximately 4% of global oil production is used for the manufacture of plastics. Plastics have revolutionized so many aspects of our everyday life, from clothing to food & drink containers, to car & airplane parts, to building materials and medical devices, the list is almost endless. It would be impossible to eliminate the use of plastics completely and there are many false economies in the proposed use of alternative materials which will have more of an environmental impact in terms of water and energy usage. Regardless, in the short term the management of plastic waste needs to be dramatically improved, plastics can be recycled as many developed countries have proven. Unfortunately many developing countries were supplied with cheap plastic products and packaging but there was neither the finances nor political will to ensure proper waste management of recycling infrastructure. Hence, the terrible spectra of plastic waste in every corner of our oceans. It is a truly shocking statistic that less than 10% of plastic is recycled globally on a yearly basis.