Current Situation and Future Prospects for Plastic Waste in Maysan Governorate: Effects and Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Perils‏ ‏of plastic waste (PW) from polymers (ex: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density ‎polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride ‎‎(PVC), nylon, polystyrene (PS), etc.) ‎, the mechanism of its spread in ‎general and all of these types that are included ‎in our daily life system as a product expelled ‎continuously and/or frequently are 21st century crisis as reported from United Nations in 2019, and especially after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. PW is a very serious issue that has negative and harmful effects on the ecosystem, beside; health and the ‎economy through direct proportionality with the rate of increase in the state population, moreover, weak ‎environmental awareness and Energy International Administration (EIA) towards this dangerous issue. ‎ The aim of the current survey study is to shed light on the importance of plastics in our daily life needs for food packaging, single-use personal protective equipment's, laboratory tests, etc... PW problems by knowing the chemical composition, components, uses, and harms, as well as knowing the possibility of benefiting from these wastes within the solid waste management system (MSW / Municipal). By providing some suggestions that helps reduce the harm of this waste either recycling or disposal. This study will also include approximate theoretical equations to calculate the percentage of PW in particular at Maysan governorate, Iraq; because we haven't any physical mechanism at the operational level that deals with waste sorting, especially PW; as these statistics generally depend on the official information published by the competent authority about the total amount of waste presented at the governorate level.‎