Solid waste is a problem that involves everyone.
Much of the solid waste problem can be contributed to the polymeric materials that have become part of the daily conveniences we tend to take for granted. These small conveniences include milk cartons, plastic bags and food containers, styrofoam coffee cups, plastic dishes and appliances, clothing, tires, laptop computer screens, and many other items that we all encounter daily. The polymer scientist of today is not only concerned with synthesizing and characterizing polymers for consumer and industrial use, but also with what will happen to the products after their consumer time is over. Luckily for us, there has been much progress in recent years involving the development of degradable polymers, especially biodegradable and photodegradable plastics. In other words, the physical integrity is lost as the main parts of the polymer chain are broken.