Advocating responsible use of plastics Pix for representational purpose only/REUTERS PETALING JAYA: Plastics have had a bad reputation for decades now. It is non-biodegradable, and used and discarded plastic items end up in oceans, posing a threat to marine life. However, according to producers and recyclers of the material, such a label is unjustified. Plastics by itself does not pollute. The fault lies with people – how they use it and dispose of it is the problem. As the Malaysia Plastic Recyclers Association (MPRA) pointed out recently, migrating from a linear economy now to a circular economy in the use of plastics is sustainable for the environment.