According to Fortune Business Insights, The global plastic waste management industry share is projected to reach USD 41.58 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.1% during the forecast period. Unchecked plastic pollution levels during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to create unique growth opportunities for the market, The COVID-19 outbreak has triggered a race for the production of personal protective equipment (PPE), which are mostly made from plastic.

Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/plastic-waste-management-market-103063

However, their sustainable disposal, especially the disposal of single-use plastic, has sparked fears among environmentalists and academicians as PPE contains large amounts of micro-plastics. For example, the World Wide Fund estimates that if just 1% of the 1 billion masks used in Italy every month are discarded improperly, it could lead to the accumulation of 10 million plastic masks in the environment, causing unprecedented pollution.