Paper Title
THE ROLE OF MARKETING IN PLASTICS REDUCE, REUSE AND RETHINK PACKAGING

Abstract
Abstract - Plastics are an indispensable material in the modern economy, providing durable and cost-effective solutions across many sectors and economic activities. Thanks to Alexander Parkes' invention of plastic in 1862, the world now hosts plastic as an important and ubiquitous material in our economy and daily lives. It has multiple functions that help tackle a number of the challenges facing our society. The desegregation of plastic should be the first role of macro marketing in the society since the light and innovative materials in cars or planes save fuel and cut CO2 emissions; high-performance insulation materials help us save on energy bills and in packaging, plastics help ensure food safety and reduce food waste while thanks to plastic combined with 3D printing, bio-compatible plastic materials can save human lives by enabling medical innovation. However, over the past 70 years plastics production has grown exponentially in terms of volume and the increased complexity of the underlying compounds. In the absence of a fully circular economy in plastics, the world faces the growing problem of increased plastics production, rapid consumption and discharge into the natural environment — both on land and at sea. The aim of the present article is to identify the role of marketing on the one hand to desegregate the blame to end consumers of using plastic by interpreting consumer behavior and on the other hand to identify investment opportunities and impactful measures that contribute to more efficient and environmentally friendly design, production, use, reuse and recycling of plastics, with the goal of identifying the most impactful opportunities that minimize plastic waste globally and with emphasis to European Union and its ambitions as Green Europe. The methodology of this study is based on in-depth desktop research of the functioning of the global plastics industry, a data-driven mapping of the plastics value chain, and the consumer behavior determinants as functions of producers, brand owners, investors and lenders active across the value chain. The emphasis of the present is on the European continent while recognizing that the problem is a global one and particularly acute in other parts of the world. Keywords - Plastic Packaging, Macro Marketing, Green Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Circular Economy, Plastic Pollution.