Various scientists/researchers have developed various methods and techniques for reuse and recycling of plastic. Still, plastic is a growing hazard for environment. Question arises, what stop us to recycle plastic?
The following are some options:
1. Plastic types
2. Plastic collection
3. Capital Cost
4. Technical know-how
5. Low price of end products
6. Plastic recycling is energy intensive
7. Technology
8. Other
Although plastic recycling is imperative for many reasons, there are some issues that make recycling of this material quite slow. However, the barriers vary between regions, technological development level, education level, etc. At a general look at these issues, I think the following barriers are predominant and common for many regions/countries:
- The selective collection systems are not available on a large scale, in public places, transport means, public institutions, educational units, etc. At world level there are very few places / countries where the selective waste collection is well implemented on a large scale and also functional, in many cases it is implemented only partially and inoperatively. I refer to the few centralized selective collection points, located in central squares, main street crosses, at the edge of villages but such points are designed to collect recyclables already selectively pre-collected in homes, offices, etc. The centralized collection points are sporadically spread, but generally the recyclables bins are missing on the streets in urban areas, in public places/institutions, transport means, also in rural areas.
- There is not enough education and public awareness about the danger that such non-biodegradable waste creates for the environment. In addition to education and awareness, environmental concern must work at individual level, there is much ignorance about this.
- Plastic recycling is less efficient in terms of the collection and transport costs, given the low mass of plastics in relation to their volume.
- If the selective waste collection system is well implemented, recycled plastic processing technologies are lacking in many countries. Exporting these materials creates some opportunities but other barriers as well.
While the technology exists to recycle plastics, their feasibility to do so from high level consumer or industrial applications is bound by technological and economical restraints. Hurdles include the lack of market for recyclates, and the lack of cost efficient recovery infrastructures or processes.
Please also see the following ResearchGate links and PDF attachments.
Article Plastics Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities
Conference Paper CHALLENGES IN PLASTICS RECYCLING
Conference Paper RECYCLING IN PLASTIC INDUSTRIES IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS OF ITS...
Article An analysis of barriers for plastic recycling in the Indian ...
Check out the links below.
https://ac.els-cdn.com/S2351978917300276/1-s2.0-S2351978917300276-main.pdf?_tid=60d3645d-2a29-4889-b28d-225b0d1b24d6&acdnat=1536853462_d6f51c2f0dfa9a1130ff6e016993b225
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/wrap-research-shows-four-main-barriers-recycling
The most important problems that thermochemical processes for 'chemical recycling of plastics' encounter are (a) low yield and (b) low selectivity of products. One important thing that is very peculiar about plastic waste is the multiple types of plastics present in a typical waste stream, where every plastic will have different degradation behavior and different physical/ chemical properties. The industries trying to do chemical recycling of plastics can take a clue from the industries doing 'thermochemical conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals', as they encounter similar problems. We recently explored this in a paper: Article Co-pyrolysis of lignin and plastics using red clay as cataly...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Physical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Materials Chemistry
- Polymer Chemistry