Plastic Waste Management

Plastic production over the years

Plastic is universal; it is the backbone of globalization. They are essential in our modern age due to the growth of information technology and smart packaging systems. Plastic has many valuable uses. However, we have become addicted to single-use plastic products with severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences.   Around the world, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. From the 1950s only, a small amount of plastic was produced, as a result, plastic waste was reasonably manageable. However, from 1970s, plastic waste generation was more than tripled, similar to rise in plastic production. In the early 2000s, the amount of plastic waste generated rose more in a single decade than it had in the previous 40 years. Rapid population growth, urbanization, combined with industrial growth has led to serious waste management issues around the world. Today, we produce about 400 million tons of plastic waste annually. If growth trends continue, global production of plastic is forecasted to reach 1,100 million tons by 2050.

 

Global Trend

According to US Environmental Protection Agency, the use of plastic has grown significantly since 1960s; the portion of plastic waste has also increased from 1% to approximately 13%. United Nations Environment Programme reported that approximately 400 million tons single-use plastic (SUP) waste is generated yearly and approximately 50% of this quantity is for disposal. While the consumption of plastic are increasingly high, reservations about feasible possibilities for reuse, recycling and disposal are also on the rise. Developments such as the rising number of additives used to remodel the strength, texture, flexibility and other features of plastics, make plastics less
recyclable. Furthermore, there is very limited market value in certain plastics, leading to landfill or incinerate plastics. Based on numbers from the EPA only 8% of plastic supplies are recovered through recycling. Most plastics would take around a span of approximately 500-1000 years to completely decompose into organic components. Majority of our plastic waste ends up in landfills or as litter as a result of the longevity and the low rate of recycling. In addition, less than 10% out of billion tons of plastic waste generated globally has been recycled. Millions of tons of plastic waste are lost to the environment, or transported thousands of kilometers to destinations where it is burned or dumped. This places it at a dangerous risk of leakage and transport to the natural atmosphere and oceans via waterways, breezes and waves. Plastic waste affects living organisms throughout the ecosystem either in a direct or an indirect manner.

Current Plastic Waste Management Practices

  • Landfilling
    Though all plastics can be disposed in landfills, it is viewed highly reckless as it needs a massive quantity of space and the chemical components and energy carried in plastic is dissolute in this disposal route. In nations where landfills are inadequately managed, plastic wastes can be simply blown into waterways or carried out to sea by floodwater. Also, when plastics disintegrate in landfills, they may leak pollutants into the soil.
  • Incineration
    The simplest way to lessen the amount of solid waste is to burn. It is in a process called‘incineration’. The fundamental benefits of incinerating waste are; it needs less land and efficiently used for power generation. Nevertheless, incineration of plastics also generatestoxic gas emissions that carry heavy metals, dioxins, and other volatile organic compounds.
  • Recycling
    Most plastic can be recycled and the elements recovered can be given a second-life. However, this method is not fully utilized, due to complications with the accumulation and sorting of plastic waste. Several developing and certain developed countries have inadequate waste management provisions which frequently result in plastics and other waste being carelessly disposed. Although recycling is the most efficient way to deal with plastic waste, its effectiveness is deeply depended on public awareness, economic viability, and the
    implementation of public infrastructures.

Actions to address plastic waste challenges

Governments and different industries play an important role to address challenges we are facing due to plastic waste mismanagement. For industries, they can remove problematic or unnecessary packaging or products by redesigning products that promote sustainability and innovating their business models to move from single use to reusable plastic products. They should provide reliable and transparent sustainability information for the consumer’s guide. They can also increase the use of recycled content in new products in order to circulate plastic in the economy.

In the same way, governments play a vital role in the plastic value chain. Like industries, they can eliminate the plastic products we do not need through bans and policies. They can also promote innovation so the plastic we need are designed and brought into the economy allows for their reuse. Currently, there are thirteen Plastics Pacts around the world – ANZPAC (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island), Canada, Chile, Europe, France, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, the UK and the US – and a new Pact in development in Colombia.
In addition, there are National Plastic Action Partnerships in Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Maharashtra (India), Nigeria, Ghana, Ecuador, South Africa and Mexico City (Mexico).

The knowledge exchange network brings together key stakeholders across sectors to implement solutions towards a circular economy for plastics tailored to each geography. Each initiative convenes businesses, government institutions and civil society, NGOs, and citizens to build behind a shared vision.

Here are some huge actions taken to charge toward plastic waste reduction.

  1. Plastic bag bans
    In 2020, New York City moved to ban plastic bags. US wasn’t the first country to present this idea. Back in 2002, Bangladesh became the first country to implement a plastic bag ban. Since then, other countries have followed suit, introducing their own measures to combat the tenacious and persistent nature of plastic bags. This action has also led to further advancements in overall plastic bans. Bangladesh’s High Court ordered a ban against all single-use plastics in coastal hotels and restaurants in 2020.
  2. No more micro beads
    The tiny plastic particles called micro beads added scrubbing power to facial cleansers, toothpastes, and household cleaners. The Netherlands became the first country to outlaw the use of micro beads to personal care products in 2014. Since then countries like Australia and South Korea have joined the cause, with the UK boasting some of the strictest regulations.
  3. Recycled plastic roads
    In India, about 26,000 metric tons of plastic waste is generated each day. But instead of just tossing it, they’re innovating new methods of recycling. India has been experimenting with plastic roads since the early 2000s, converting the pesky waste problem into a smooth, long- lasting highway to the future. Back in 2002 they first used plastic as binder in gravel. This allows to save about 3 metric tons of carbon dioxide for every kilometer of the road that reuses plastic instead of incinerating it.
  4. Making companies pay
    Maine first introduced a revolutionary law to put the responsibility of packaging waste on companies in 2021. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program shift cardboard, plastic containers, and non-recyclable packaging recycling and disposal costs to the manufacturers. Less than a month later, Oregon, followed and approved this law. France, have set their own producer policies for 20 years already
  5. The battle against Styrofoam
    Unlike other forms of plastic, Styrofoam, is not biodegradable and is difficult to recycle. It will be around for decades, until it breaks down into particles and contaminates local ecosystems and bodies of water. In 2021, Costa Rica banned the importation and distribution of Styrofoam and implemented fines for violators. Maine banned food containers made of Styrofoam from businesses.
  6. The world’s first circular plastics economy
    The EU announced its first-ever European wide strategy to curtail plastics consumption and pollution in 2018.They aim to create the world’s first “circular” plastics economy through a ban on single-use plastics, the creation of a comprehensive reuse system, and the establishment of a market for recycled plastics. The plan hopes to combat marine litter by addressing the disposable items most commonly found on their beaches.
  7. Whose trash it is anyway?
    The importing and exporting of plastic waste is not a new concept. But some countries are finally putting their foot down and saying “no”. For years, richer countries have relied on poorer countries to manage their waste, exporting trash to be recycled or incinerated. In 2017, the world’s largest plastic importer, China announced a ban on imported plastic waste and other countries followed. In 2020, 180 nations adopted new international rules that limited the trade of plastic waste.

Upcycling

The latest trend in managing plastic waste. It is also referred to as innovative reuse, is the process of converting leftovers, waste products, unnecessary items, or unwanted items into new materials or items that are thought to be of higher quality, such as items with artistic or environmental value. Scientists from Virginia Tech lead by Professor Greg Liu found a simple, cheap, and economically viable way to upcycle plastic waste. The process uses no catalysts and requires only plastic and heat. It burns the plastic in a special reactor leaving a waxy residue that can be made into soaps and detergents. This method works on both polyethylene and polypropylene which make up most plastics we encounter everyday such as food packaging and fabrics. It is converted into fleece or carpeting products (fiber), plastic lumber, car parts, or even textiles for clothing materials, bags, shoes, upholstery and others.

Overall, plastic is one of the most used materials in the world. However, the current condition of handling plastic waste is causing permanent harm to the environment. While plastic has become part of our daily lives, shifting to alternatives is not a sustainable solution. Studies shows that several plastic waste management methods have been adopted. However, there are still prominent flaws in majority that can only be avoided through comprehensive restructuring of the entire method. Government awareness and their strict intervention is required to improve prevalent conditions. Improvements can be made in the current procedures for plastic waste management by increasing awareness from primary level with the cooperation of educational institutions, establishing government waste disposal units at a larger scale and with the help of business sector.

Example of Upcycled Products

Genevieve Rikah Dimacuta
Contributor

References:

UN Environment Programme “Our planet is choking on plastic”. 2021 March\https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat- plastic-pollution/Accessed. 31 July 2023

Singh P. & Trivedi L. “Plastic Waste Management” 2020 February\ GIS Science Journal\https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350513815_PLASTIC_WASTE_MANAGEMENT\ Accessed. 28 July 2023

Nakamura, K. “7 Groundbreaking Government Initiatives to Reduce Plastic Waste” September 9, 2021\https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/plastic-waste-government-initiatives\Accessed.28 July 2023

Ellen MacArthur Foundation Org\ https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/press-release-collaboration-between- international-ngos\Accessed. 27 July 2023

World Economic Forum “2023 August \https://www.linkedin.com/posts/world-economic-forum_this-process-could-offer-a-cheap-method-for-activity-7103013821836836865-42Wt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios. Accessed. 1 September 2023