The growing challenge of plastic waste worldwide, including its impact on vulnerable marine and terrestrial ecosystems, has spurred the quest for viable alternatives to replace plastic as part of a range of solutions to deal with the crisis. This is challenging given some of the inherent lexibility, versatility and low production costs of plastics. Techno economic factors and evaluation of health and environmental including overall life-cycle impacts will determine whether substitution of plastic would be preferable to other solutions (such as better waste collection and disposal). Particularly problematic plastic pollution sources such as single-use plastic bags and other items are areas where substitution would be highly desirable