Legacy additives in a circular economy of plastics: Current dilemma, policy analysis, and emerging countermeasures

Plastics are widely used because of their diverse mechanical and physicochemical properties, however, many plastic products can only achieve their specific characteristics if mixed with additives, like flame retardants, stabilizers, and plasticizers. Some of the formerly used plastic additives, however, are in the meantime evaluated as substances of very high concern (SVHC) or even persistent organic pollutants (POP) and are referred to as...