Impact of plastic industry on environment in EU

Posljednjih desetljeća sve je aktualnija tema o posljedicama koje otpad od plastike ostavlja na okoliš. Međutim, tek se unazad par godina konkretno i intenzivno počelo raditi na rješavanju tog problema. Industrija plastike ima veliki utjecaj na današnji moderni život. Omogućila je razvoj računala, mobilnih telefona i mnogih drugih stvari bez kojih je današnji život nezamisliv. Međutim, otpad od plastike predstavlja veliki problem za okoliš i jedan je od najvećih globalnih izazova vezan za očuvanje okoliša. Otpad se nakuplja i predstavlja opasnost za čovjeka, biljke i životinje. Taj štetan utjecaj posebno je izražen u oceanima, koji se tretiraju kao veliko odlagalište otpada. S obzirom na široku primjenu ovog materijala, od izrazite je važnosti da se njome upravlja na pravilan i održiv način kako bi se i dalje mogla koristiti, a bez štetnog utjecaja na okoliš. Cilj ovog diplomskog rada je predstaviti kolika je štetnost otpada od plastike na okoliš, kojim sredstvima se Europska Unija koristi za postizanje smanjenja štetnosti, te osvijestiti i potaknuti građane da također sudjeluju koliko mogu u rješavanju ovog globalnog problema.In recent decades, the topic of the consequences of plastic waste on the environment has become increasingly topical. However, only a few years ago, concrete and intensive work began to solve this problem. The plastics industry has a big impact on today’s modern life. It has enabled the development of computers, mobile phones and many other things without which today's life is unthinkable. However, plastic waste is a major environmental problem and is one of the biggest global environmental challenges. Waste accumulates and poses a danger to humans, plants and animals. This detrimental impact is particularly pronounced in the oceans, which are treated as a major landfill. Given the wide application of this material, it is extremely important that it is managed in a proper and sustainable way so that it can continue to be used without harming the environment. The aim of this graduate thesis is to present the harmfulness of plastic waste to the environment, the means used by the European Union to achieve harm reduction, and to raise awareness and encourage citizens to also participate as much as possible in solving this global problem