Acute Plastic Pollution: causes, problems and solutions

Excessive production, consumption, and indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste contribute to plastic pollution, which has a negative impact on the environment and human health. The KAP (knowledge, attitude, and practices) study is thought to be useful in mitigating plastic pollution because understanding the public’s knowledge, attitude, and practices toward plastic pollution can help identify problems and challenges, allowing appropriate policy decisions to be made to set up plans or implement interventions. This study assesses Malaysians’ level of knowledge, attitude, and practices toward plastic pollution, as well as the variation of plastic pollution related to KAP among various socio-demographic groups. For this study, an online survey received 294 valid responses. Descriptive statistics, KAP scoring, and response cross-tabulation were calculated. This study received 294 valid responses via an online survey. Descriptive statistics, KAP scoring, and response cross-tabulation were estimated. A one-way analysis of variance, paired t-test, and binary logistic regressions was performed. Respondents’ overall knowledge score (95% CI mean score: 3.88–10.94 on a scale of 11) and practice score (95% CI 1.09–6.53 on a scale of 6) were poor across socio-demographics when a cut point of 80% was used. Older (>46 years) respondents seemed to have more knowledge than younger (18–30 years) respondents (odds ratio, OR 4.304; p < 0.01). However, respondents between the ages of 31 and 45 reported significantly (p < 0.01) higher attitudes (OR 4.019) and practices (OR 4.056; p < 0.05). Respondents with environmental-related university education had a higher likelihood of knowing about plastic pollution (OR 10.343; p < 0.01). To encourage good practices toward minimizing plastic use and pollution, conclusions are drawn about undertaking interventions such as raising environmental awareness, incorporating plastic pollution topics into formal and informal education, and providing recycling facilities in nearby communities.

Since plastic and food waste are both types of non-lignocellulosic biomass, these must be handled and managed correctly to avoid pollution problems and damage to the environment. Bio-oil, made from recycled materials, including plastic and food waste, is one focus of these attempts. The co-pyrolysis method is being investigated in this study as a technique of recycling plastic waste and food waste to produce biofuels with reduced environmental impact. In terms of energy efficiency, bio-oil is unequal to other fuels like coal or natural gas because of its high acidity, high oxygen content, and low thermal stability. Therefore, a vacuum distillation process is required to improve bio-oil quality by adjusting the distillation temperature from 300 to 350 OC and the percentage of plastic waste used from 30 to 50%. The bio-oil was analyzed using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). The general compound showed that acids (60%) and alcohols (20%) were the most prevalent chemical compounds, followed by phenol (4%), aldehyde (14%), aliphatic (5%), Furan (14%), and ketones (11%) at maximum temperature (350 oC) for 30-50% plastic waste. Meanwhile, the final product is affected by temperature and plastic waste (PET) ratio factors. At 350 °C and a plastic waste addition of 50%, the highest bio-oil yield is 45%.

A few times a year, volunteers fan out along the causeway that links the South Carolina mainland with the seashore community of Folly Beach to clean up plastic bottles, straws, bags, and other debris from along the road and the salt marsh. Some of this debris has come from cities miles away. On windy days, litter is often blown off city streets into waterways. During rainstorms, debris floats into drains that empty into rivers. Other trash probably came from places closer to home. “I see bags and other plastic flying off the beds of pickup trucks going down the causeway,” says Marty Morganello, who organizes the cleanups for the Charleston-area chapter of the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation. “I see them coming out the open windows of cars and out the backs of garbage trucks and even recycling trucks. This material is lightweight, and if you don’t secure it, it will fly away.” By one estimate, the volume of plastic debris going into the world’s oceans could more than double by 2025, assuming current trends in coastal development and plastics use. Some countries have begun identifying ways to improve management of plastic ... Beach cleanups yield enormous amounts of trash, with plastic items a major constituent.1 Although the human health impacts of this marine plastic pollution remain poorly characterized, it is widely seen as an emerging problem that deserves much more research attention.2 Likewise, there is a growing urgency among industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, and environmental groups to develop tools and policies to track, capture, and recycle plastic waste before it reaches the ocean.

Quantitative assessment of plastic waste in rubber plantations through modelling approach

A preliminary survey to assess the awareness, attitudes/behaviours, and opinions pertaining to plastic and microplastic pollution among students in India

The problem of plastic bottle waste is still a big challenge for Riau Province, including the Sedinginan, which is one of the villages traversed by the Rokan river. Plastic bottle waste from households along the Rokan river is disposed of in the river, so that the volume of waste in the river is increasing. Reprocessing plastic bottle waste is an effort to avoid environmental pollution by plastic waste. Through creativity, plastic bottle waste can be recycled into a minimalist sofa that has economic value. This Community Service was carried out by means of training on processing plastic bottle waste into minimalist sofas for PKK Sedinginan. The purpose the activity is to provide them with knowledge and skills on how to process plastic bottle waste into minimalist sofas. The implementation method is by conducting counseling and training to PKK mothers. The result of the activity was an increase in the knowledge and skills of PKK women on how to process plastic bottle waste into goods of economic value. Based on the activities that have been carried out, it can be concluded that there must be ongoing training in plastic waste management, not only in the form of plastic bottles but also other plastics produced from household waste so that people have skills in managing waste.

Plastic waste is one of the wastes that is difficult to decompose naturally and requires a long time to decompose completey. Its single-use use results in a significant level of plastic bag consumption, resulting in the accumulation of plastic bag waste which can cause environmental pollution. The purpuse of this study was to describe the application of the andragogy approach in improving people’s life skill through training on recycling plastic bag waste. The research theory used are training theory, andragogy theory, and community education. The research theory used is descriptive with qualitative methods. Data collection techniques through interviews, observation, and documention. The main reason for using this instrument is to find out the appllication of the andragogy approach in improving people’s life skill through training on recyling plastic bag waste and obtaining research data as analytical material to support the prepation of reports. The results of this study illustrate the application of an andragogy approach through training on recycling plastic bag waste that can improve people’s life skill. The conclusion of this study is that this andragogy approach can increase people’s knowledge and skill in recycling plastic bag waste into various handicraft creations and can raise public awareness to reduce environmental pollition caused by the accumulation of plastic waste.

Plastic solid waste management is amongst the most menacing issue covered across the globe. Plastic is the material with multiple usages, replacement of plastic is a solution to reduce plastic based pollution but this is not possible in order to gather the needs of humans. Natural resources are depleting worldwide at the same time the generated wastes are expanding substantially. The usage of plastic when looking to its degradation rate has calamitous difference, at present the conversion of plastic into cement can provide an upgrade to environment as well as economic benefits. In this present study the Plastic waste management was done at educational institution in order to manage the huge amount of plastic waste generated everyday by the affiliates.Utilization of plastic waste in preparation of paved blocks originated from the known mechanisms for production of bricks and fly ash blocks. Plastic serves as a bonding agent when heated. Soil serves as binding agent when mixed with melted plastic. Properties of sandy soil shows that after heating it changes the colour, becomes non-sticky, has no effect of weather, compressive strength increases and surface becomes hard. The method used in this study for preparation of blocks from plastic was hypothesized form the technique of production of bricks in which soil is mixed with bonding clay. Sandy soil and clay mixture serves good quality by providing less shrinkage. The aim of this study is to manage plastic waste from depleting the environment.

Objective: This study was conducted to describe the current situation of plastic waste generation and learn the opportunities and challenges in plastic waste management at Son Tay General Hospital in 2022. Research subjects and methods: The research design was a cross-sectional combination of qualitative. Research and applied data collection method using a structured questionnaire combined retrospective, records, books, and reports. In-depth interviews with staff working on hospital plastic waste management. Results: The volume of plastic waste generated at Son Tay General Hospital in 2022 compared to the total amount of medical waste generated at the hospital was 11,168kg, including infectious plastic waste generated 10,320kg (22.8%), non-infectious hazardous plastic waste 25kg (14.12%), recycled plastic waste of 823kg, including 735kg of recycled plastic waste from professional activities (28%) and recycled plastic waste from daily activities 88kg (0.05%). The total volume of recycled waste at Son Tay General Hospital in 2022 was 2714kg including recycled plastic waste (823kg) and waste other than plastic products (1891kg). The 823kg of recycled waste including fluid bottles was 600kg/year (22.1%), plastic cans were 135kg/year (4.98%) and household plastic accounted for 88kg/year (3.24%). Conclusion: The proportion of plastic waste compared to total medical waste is significant. Among the types of plastic waste generated, infectious plastic waste accounted for the highest proportion, followed by recycled plastic waste, non-infectious hazardous plastic waste, and regular plastic waste. Keywords: plastic waste, Son Tay General Hospital, waste.

Kehidupan perkotaan yang serba cepat menghasilkan sampah yang luar biasa banyak, karena kita terbiasa untuk membeli, pakai dan buang ketika masa pakainya sudah habis Dengan pola konsumsi seperti ini, Indonesia saat ini sudah menjadi negara penghasil sampah plastic kedua terbesar di dunia. Mahasiswa desain produk sebagai generasi millenials penerus masa depan Indonesia perlu disadarkan akan masalah ini. Dengan pendekatan desain produk, mahasiswi Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) diajak untuk mengolah sampah plastik yang ada di lingkungan UPH menjadi produk fungsional. Berdasarkan hasil observasi dan wawancara, salah satu limbah plastik yang menumpuk adalah gelas plastik diperkirakan ada sekitar 6.000 gelas plastik yang dipakai per bulannya. Gelas minuman adalah jenis plastic polypropelene dan polyethylene. Keduanya adalah termoplastik jenis plastik yang dapat dibentuk berulang – ulang dengan dipanaskan. Pengolahan sampah mulai dari pengumpulan, penyortiran, pencucian, baru limbah mulai didaur ulang dengan berbagai macam teknik eksplorasi mulai dari perlakuan tidak dipanaskan hingga dipanaskan pada suhu 1200C - 1600C dengan mesin hot press. Tujuannya agar material dapat kembali menjadi material yang memiliki kualitas estetis dan struktur yang baik. Setelah limbah berhasil diolah menjadi produk yang fungsional, hasilnya disosialisasikan kepada mahasiswi jurusan lain dengan mengadakan workshop, dimana setiap peserta harus membawa bahan sampah plastiknya sendiri. Hasil dari PKM ini adalah pengurangan sampah gelas minuman yang ada di lingkungan UPH sebesar 1% dan peningkatkan kesadaran generasi millennials akan sampah plastik yang ada di UPH dan merubah persepsi mereka bahwa sampah gelas minuman bukanlah sampah yang harus dibuang, tapi material yang siap untuk diolah kembali menjadi produk pakai. 

12 - Emissions and Environmental Burdens Associated With Plastic Solid Waste Management

Introduction. Plastic decomposition is an exceptionally protracted process, requiring urgent measures to reduce environmental pollution, including that of water resources. Current solutions include increasing measures to sort and recycle plastic waste and developing biodegradable and environmentally friendly substitutes. Although plastic is recyclable, not all types are easily recycled. Therefore, most significant efforts are needed to find sustainable solutions. This highlights the importance of analysing the current situation regarding plastic waste and developing specific measures to reduce pollution. Aim and tasks. This study aims to analyse the concern of increasing plastic waste in Bulgaria and to develop strategies for its reduction. In particular, measures to reduce the consumption of plastic products, introduce separate waste collection, and recycle and reuse valuable raw materials are considered, emphasising the contribution of these actions to reducing water resource pollution. Results. This study analysed two main pollution control areas: limiting plastic use and introducing rapidly degradable materials. These approaches do not exclude but complement each other. This study confirms that using biodegradable polymers such as PLA, PHA, and PBS has significant environmental benefits despite their cost and the disadvantages of production technologies. Effective solutions to pollution problems have been shown to require legislative measures and innovations, raising public awareness, and developing a culture of separate waste collection. The research and analysis revealed ways to reduce the pollution of water bodies with plastic and polyethene waste. The effects of this waste on the development of humanity have been examined, and options for solving these problems on a global scale have been proposed. Conclusions. Plastic products and packaging have a significant negative impact on the environment, including reducing pollution of water and marine ecosystems. It is necessary to improve the efficiency of plastic waste management and recycling. Analysis of these data on the pollution of water bodies and adjacent territories showed the need to develop a system for monitoring and collecting information on pollution, including in hard-to-reach areas. To reduce this impact, it is important to combine limiting plastic consumption and using rapidly degradable bioplastics with the active implementation of recycling and reuse programs.

Processing plastic waste into fuel oil with pyrolysis technology. Research on plastic oil as an alternative fuel has been widely conducted. One of them is research on processing plastic bag waste into fuel oil with pyrolysis technology. In this study, a set of pyrolysis equipment was made by Lecturers and Students of UMNU Kebumen. The plastic waste used in this study was 1 kg of plastic bag. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis process used a temperature of 250oC-300oC. The fuel oil produced in the pyrolysis process of this study was approximately 400 ml. The average density of fuel oil from plastic bag waste was 0.733 gr/ml. The results of this density calculation are in the possibility of the density of gasoline, namely 0.710 gr/ml to 0.770 gr/ml. This pyrolysis process shows great potential for converting plastic waste into an environmentally friendly alternative energy source. Furthermore, the efficiency of this pyrolysis technology can be improved by adjusting the temperature and processing time, as well as by selecting a wider variety of plastic types. This technology has the potential to be applied more widely in plastic waste management within the community as a solution to reduce environmental pollution while generating renewable energy.

The increasing global consumption of plastic products has resulted in a growing accumulation of plastic waste, posing severe environmental challenges. The study aims to explore methods for recycling plastic macaque waste to produce carbon nanomaterials. Carbon nanomaterials were obtained via electric arc discharge from plastic waste processed at 1173 K in a nitrogen and water vapor environment. Key properties such as moisture, ash, and volatility were analyzed with a Thermoster Eltra analyzer. Pore volume, bulk density, pH, and adsorption activity were also assessed. This study addresses plastic waste pollution by converting it into porous carbon nanomaterials through pyrolysis at 900 °C. These materials, used as electrodes, produce graphene-forming nanomaterials via electric arc discharge. Analysis confirmed the composition using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and gas chromatography. The study reveals that the electrical conductivity of the synthesized carbon nanomaterials is close to that of graphite, with a reduction in electrical resistance of up to 3.6 times compared to the initial carbonized material. The process yields valuable products like nanomaterials, hydrogen, and flammable gases. This research presents an innovative and sustainable approach for the recycling of plastic waste into graphene-forming carbon nanomaterials using electric arc discharge.

Lagos State had experienced adverse pollution as a result of lack of proper waste management and diverse industrial activities within its environs. The repercussion of this has consequently led to the deplorable state of the environment as well as the low quality of health amongst residents. Waste management has become a huge and intricate problem due to geometric population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation and the rising standard of living. This study investigated Plastic and Iron Waste Recycling Pollution in Lagos State, Nigeria. This study concluded that hazards of Plastic and Iron Waste Recycling Pollution in Lagos State; the drainage systems habitually blocked causing yearly flooding which usually lasted throughout the rainy seasons from April to October and displaced millions of residents. The clogged sewage systems became the perfect breeding environment for mosquitoes and flooding washed away footpaths caused people to move around in dirty water from overflowed gutters and polluted major sources of drinking water which led to the spread of cholera and typhoid fever. Also, higher levels of toxic heavy metals were observed among residents at close proximity to recycling iron factories. For environmental sustainability in Lagos State plastic and iron waste recycling pollution must be seriously cautioned in following; environmental impact assessment is necessary for any development in Lagos State, recycling programmes and waste to energy facilities can be reawaken with modernised and ecological friendly technologies. Keywords: Iron waste, Plastic waste, Pollution, Waste recycling, Waste management.