Polymer Waste Management


Book Description

The world is literally awash with plastics and this book practically provides a broad overview of plastic recycling procedures and waste management. With the huge amount of plastics floating in the oceans, fish and other sea creatures are directly suffering the consequences. On land, city leaders and planners are banning one-use plastics as well as plastic bags from grocery stores in an effort to stem the use. Many countries have made official announcements and warnings concerning the pollution caused from plastic wastes. These urgent developments have stimulated the author to study the problem and write Polymer Waste Management. Plastic recycling refers to a method that retrieves the original plastic material. However, there are many sophisticated methods available for the treatment and management of waste plastics such as basic primary recycling, where the materials are sorted and collected individually. In chemical recycling, the monomers and related compounds are processed by special chemical treatments. Other methods, such as pyrolysis, can produce fuels from waste plastics. These methods and others are treated comprehensively in the book. This groundbreaking book also discusses: General aspects, such as amount of plastics production, types of waste plastics, analysis procedures for identification of waste plastic types, standards for waste treatment, contaminants in recycled plastics. Environmental aspects, such as pollution in the marine environment and landfills. The advantages of the use of bio-based plastics. Recycling methods for individual plastic types and special catalysts.




Plastic Waste and Recycling


Book Description

Plastic Waste and Recycling: Environmental Impact, Societal Issues, Prevention, and Solutions begins with an introduction to the different types of plastic materials, their uses, and the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle before examining plastic types, chemistry and degradation patterns that are organized by non-degradable plastic, degradable and biodegradable plastics, biopolymers and bioplastics. Other sections cover current challenges relating to plastic waste, explain the sources of waste and their routes into the environment, and provide systematic coverage of plastic waste treatment methods, including mechanical processing, monomerization, blast furnace feedstocks, gasification, thermal recycling, and conversion to fuel. This is an essential guide for anyone involved in plastic waste or recycling, including researchers and advanced students across plastics engineering, polymer science, polymer chemistry, environmental science, and sustainable materials. - Presents actionable solutions for reducing plastic waste, with a focus on the concepts of collection, re-use, recycling and replacement - Considers major societal and environmental issues, providing the reader with a broader understanding and supporting effective implementation - Includes detailed case studies from across the globe, offering unique insights into different solutions and approaches




Degradable Polymers, Recycling, and Plastics Waste Management


Book Description

Based on the International Workshop on Controlled Life-Cycle of Polymeric Materials held in Stockholm, this work examines degradable polymers and the recycling of plastic materials. It highlights recent results on recycling and waste management, including topics such as renewable resources, degradation, processing and products, and environmental is




Plastics Waste Management


Book Description

The book provides clear explanations for newcomers to the subject as well as contemporary details and theory for the experienced user in plastics waste management. It is seldom that a day goes by without another story or photo regarding the problem of plastics waste in the oceans or landfills. While important efforts are being made to clear up the waste, this book looks at the underlying causes and focuses on plastics waste management. Plastics manufacturers have been slow to recognize their environmental impact compared with more directly polluting industries. However, the environmental pressures concerning plastics have forced the industry to examine their own recycling operations and implement plastics waste management. Plastics Waste Management realizes two ideals: That all plastics should be able to persist for as long as plastics are required, and that all plastics are recycled in a uniform manner regardless of the length of time for which it persists. The book examines plastics waste management and systems for the environment, as well the management approaches and techniques which are appropriate for managing the environment. It serves as an excellent and thoughtful plastics waste management handbook. This groundbreaking book: Identifies deficiencies in plastics waste management Extrapolates from experiences to draw some conclusions about plastics waste for persistence Describes methods how the waste related processing techniques should be used in recycling Shows how the consumer and industry can assess the performance of plastics waste management Explains waste utilization by recycling techniques as well as waste reduction Life cycle assessment as an important technique for recycling of persistent plastics waste.




Handbook of Research on Waste Diversion and Minimization Technologies for the Industrial Sector


Book Description

Due to various issues in the world including rapid urbanization and industrial processes, waste generation has reached levels that are becoming detrimental to the environment and the global population. Waste management has remained a challenging issue for many professional sectors as it is directly linked to an organization’s performance; however, the implementation of efficient and cost-effective waste minimization plans is the first step in improving the global environment. Innovative technologies in waste management are emerging and can help professionals looking to implement more efficient methods of pollution control. The Handbook of Research on Waste Diversion and Minimization Technologies for the Industrial Sector is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the application of modern pollution-control methodologies in industrialized environments. While highlighting topics such as life cycle assessment, bioremediation, and thermal waste treatment, this publication explores environmental risk reduction scenarios as well as sustainable waste-collecting solutions. This book is ideally designed for researchers, industrialists, environmentalists, practitioners, policymakers, scientists, students, and academicians seeking current research on innovative advancements in waste minimization techniques.




Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste


Book Description

An estimated 8 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic waste enters the world's ocean each year - the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic waste into the ocean every minute. Plastic waste is now found in almost every marine habitat, from the ocean surface to deep sea sediments to the ocean's vast mid-water region, as well as the Great Lakes. This report responds to a request in the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act for a scientific synthesis of the role of the United States both in contributing to and responding to global ocean plastic waste. The United States is a major producer of plastics and in 2016, generated more plastic waste by weight and per capita than any other nation. Although the U.S. solid waste management system is advanced, it is not sufficient to deter leakage into the environment. Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste calls for a national strategy by the end of 2022 to reduce the nation's contribution to global ocean plastic waste at every step - from production to its entry into the environment - including by substantially reducing U.S. solid waste generation. This report also recommends a nationally-coordinated and expanded monitoring system to track plastic pollution in order to understand the scales and sources of U.S. plastic waste, set reduction and management priorities, and measure progress.




Sustainable Infrastructure: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice


Book Description

The continued growth of any nation depends largely on the development of their built infrastructures and communities. By creating stable infrastructures, countries can more easily thrive in competitive international markets. Sustainable Infrastructure: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice examines sustainable development through the lens of transportation, waste management, land use planning, and governance. Highlighting a range of topics such as sustainable development, transportation planning, and regional and urban infrastructure planning, this publication is an ideal reference source for engineers, planners, government officials, developers, policymakers, legislators, researchers, academicians, and graduate-level students seeking current research on the latest trends in sustainable infrastructure.




Management of Marine Plastic Debris


Book Description

Management of Marine Plastic Debris gives a thorough and detailed presentation of the global problem of marine plastics debris, covering every aspect of its management from tracking, collecting, treating and commercial exploitation for handing this anthropogenic waste. The book is a unique, essential source of information on current and future technologies aimed at reducing the impact of plastics waste in the oceans. This is a practical book designed to enable engineers to tackle this problem—both in stopping plastics from getting into the ocean in the first place, as well as providing viable options for the reuse and recycling of plastics debris once it has been recovered. The book is essential reading not only for materials scientists and engineers, but also other scientists involved in this area seeking to know more about the impact of marine plastics debris on the environment, the mechanisms by which plastics degrade in water and potential solutions. While much research has been undertaken into the different approaches to the increasing problem of plastics marine debris, this is the first book to present, evaluate and compare all of the available techniques and practices, and then make suggestions for future developments. The book also includes a detailed discussion of the regulatory environment, including international conventions and standards and national policies. - Reviews all available processes and techniques for recovering, cleaning and recycling marine plastic debris - Presents and evaluates viable options for engineers to tackle this growing problem, including the use of alternative polymers - Investigates a wide range of possible applications of marine plastics debris and opportunities for businesses to make a positive environmental impact - Includes a detailed discussion of the regulatory environment, including international conventions and standards and national policies




Plastic Pollution


Book Description

Plastic is a non- biodegradable organic polymer, which is very commonly used in materials, large amounts of discarded plastics accumulating in oceans as Garbage islands and in land as landfills or blocking streams and waterways. Leaching of waste plastics from land filling and fumes released during incineration resulting major health impacts to living things as well as polluting the air, water, and soil, burning PVC releases cancer causing dioxins and PCB. Addition to recycling waste plastics also used in production of energy or in co-processing. Oxo-degradable plastics end up in fragments which cannot be compostable and also resulting in particles that can cause bioaccumulation. This study analyses plastics, and their path way in the environment, it also figure out the hazardous effects of plastics to living things and to the environment, and ends with practically feasible solutions.




Polymers


Book Description

* Timely information on the environmental impact of polymer recycling. * Ample sample questions and answers in chapters. * Provides material on the economics and legislation of recycling, and on LCA. * Examines the advantages and disadvantages of polymer recycling.