Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
9
MANAGING PLASTIC WASTE
Postconsumer plastic waste was an inevitable result of high volume use of
plastics in consumer applications such as packaging. Over the last two
decades, the plastics waste streams have grown in volume, reflecting the
volume growth in use of plastics as a material. In fact the fraction of plastics
in the waste stream has increased at a rate faster than that of the municipal
solid waste (MSW) stream itself. The popularity of disposable plastic goods
suchaspackagingandfoodserviceitemscontributessignificantlytoplasticin
MSW. The “open loop” linear consumerism results in the net conversion of
fossil fuel and other resources into products and then quickly into waste on
a continuing basis. Residential waste collected at curbside and commercial
waste collected and removed for processing, referred to as MSW, constitute
managed streamsofwaste.Someofthewasteisrecoveredandrecycled.Over
half of the US communities have access to recycling via curbside collection
and drop off facilities. The waste is allocated to materials recovery facilities
(MRFs), landfills, incineration plants, or cogeneration facilities. In 2008
MSW accounted for only 40-50% of the plastic waste in EU countries
(PlasticsEuropeetal.,2009;Villanuevaetal.,2010).Agriculturalwaste,auto
reclamation, electronics waste, and ship breaking waste are also managed
waste streams. In contrast to MSW, the unmanaged waste stream,
specifically urban plastic litter with its negative aesthetic impact, health
hazards, and ecological impacts, remains the most contentious aspect of
plastic waste management.
This chapter primarily deals with plastics in the MSW stream and the choices
available for their recovery and treatment. The discussion here focuses on
the sustainability of available waste management choices as they pertain
to plastic waste. Environmental sustainability and the principles of circular
economy demand that post-use plastics be regarded a potential resource or
a raw-material rather than a waste disposal problem inherent to consumer
products at the end of their lifecycle. Preferred choices of recovery or reuse
must have the optimal triple footprint; energy efficiency, resource
conservation, and minimal environmental pollution.
The composition of the MSW stream in the United States is assessed each
year by the USEPA (compiled by Franklin Associates) based on a materials
