Radiation technology can be used to alleviate the problem of pollution caused by plastics and rubber, which has become an issue of global concern. Since polymeric materials do not decompose easily, disposal of waste polymers is a serious, long-term environmental problem with most plastics gradually disintegrating to form microparticles which finally arrive in the oceans. Some promising results indicate that radiation technology is able to convert plastic waste into a variety of useful purposes presenting powerful opportunities for environmental sustainability and material innovations. Particularly, high-energy radiation can be used to degrade and modify polymer wastes so that it can be reused in multiple ways – in materials such as concrete and asphalt, for example, as well as new plastic products or more efficient and non-toxic fuel components for energy recovery.