Advances in the role of microorganisms, waste management strategies and policies on microplastic abatement in the era of bio-circular economy

Microplastics are pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in size. They have emerged as a global environmental issue due to their prevalence in natural environments. They emanate from multiple sources and persist in aquatic environments, resulting in their bioaccumulation, which has diverse ecological health consequences. This article delves into the main trends for plastic/microplastic research and management, such as collection and disposal, generation, microbial degradation coupled with physical and chemical degradation methods, and microbial enzymatic mechanisms (lipases, esterases, peroxidases, and proteases), policy directions, and waste management strategies. The various issues that have emerged due to the generation of plastic/microplastic are discussed, including their environmental fate and effect on the living system. Further, looking for a solution through microbiological biodegradation approaches is necessary. The comprehensive strategy that integrates research, technologies to control plastic wastes, preventive measures, and implementation of policies and international collaboration can be used to create advanced microplastic management policies. The standards for short-term and long-term policies have been discussed, making suggestions to avoid using plastic and plastic products in their daily lives. Hence, the comprehensive understanding of microplastic microbial degradation (through genetic engineering and synthetic biology applications where the novel degrading genes can be transferred to the degrading strains) acts as a future solution to combat the microplastics issues, and robust measures for their management are needed in terms of; (reduce, re-use and recycle concept of microplastics), and can be the way forwards to prevent their environmental impact and ecological repercussions.