Graphic is work of site creator -" Connections" 2021
Introduction
Within the coming decades, the need and ability to recycle, adapt, and reuse plastic materials is paramount for the improvement of water, land, and other resources-environments that are polluted with waste plastics. The city of Knoxville, is a bountiful precedent in regards to waste plastics of waterways and its nearby natural environments, with the University of Tennessee being a major contributor to the cities supply of waste plastics. According to the UT Admission office in 2021, there are an estimated 31,701 students on its campus, which use vast amounts of plastic material each and every day. Given how the university's population fluctuates, given on the term point of a semester in which students return or leave, massive amounts of waste are produced by this high number of students, faculty, and staff on an almost scheduled basis.
Thus, this paper shall cite and analyze plastic recycling methods, improved methods that are of interest for potential application on the University of Tennessee campus, at Knoxville, and aid in the development of a strategy for implementation (Seen in the Improvement of UT plastic recycling section) to reduce waste plastics on this campus, and potentially others.
Background
Great quantities of waste plastics are developed everyday, and comprise 10% of annual waste generated globally (Torres,Cornejo,2016). There are a variety of these waste plastics that trigger numerous environmental issues, due to the products compostial nature that does not decompose. While efforts and production of biodegradable plastics do exist(a total of 61 patents indexed using the casting technology, while for extrusion, there were 63 and 101 for molding(Siqueira, Larissa et al,2021) it is on a limited scale of production and implementation. Modern research into biodegradable plastics, in essence, focuses on elements of starch, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoate, and other substances (Torres,Cornejo,2016). The introduction of natural fiber reinforcement of virgin plastics, is a more environmentally conscious alternative of production that has developed in recent years, and has been implemented in a variety of processing technologies and has been utilized in the packaging, automotive, and other industries. However, while use of eco-plastics has increased an estimated 4% of non-renewable raw materials, such as oil and gas, are used in plastic production, while another 3-4% of non-renewable sources are used as energy in the plastic manufacturing process (Torres,Cornejo,2016). This illustrates that while the University of Tennessee can take measures such as banning of plastic bags, usage of eco-plastics and reusable food containers, the issue of pollution via chemicals and C02 emissions shall still run high in the products production. Thus, the need for improved production methods, product selection by the university from companies who produce ethically in this regard, and consider methods of recycling eco-plastics when possible, or finding alternative sources of general waste plastics is of interest in improving the institution's recycling policy.
Production
The current production of biodegradable plastics is a complex process, of which shall be cited in detail, that involves several processes; however, this method of production is of the most benefit at this time. This process shall be discussed so as to form a strategy as to how University of Tennessee may adapt and improve its management of biodegradable and other plastic waste. This process begins with the solvent casting of polymers, with the development of starch based films that are gelatinized to form solutions. The solution is then cast into filmogenic plates, where the thickness is controlled based on mass. Lastly the mass is dried at room temperature(30-40 C) with duration of drying consisting from six to eight hours at low to high humidity. There is however a variety of molding and extrusion methods based upon material requirements ( Siqueira, Larissa et al,2021).
Recycling
Given this process of production, biodegradable plastics are capable of being recycled in a variety of ways, as are non-biodegradable plastics which are produced with materials that do not have the capacity to break down naturally . Non-biodegradable plastics should be recycled through plastic and packaging waste collection services. Meaning that recycling is reprocessed from a used material into a new product, with separated plastics can be re-processed through remelting or granulation to be reused for new products(Golden Arrow,2021). Biodegradable plastics, such as “BioPE” and “BioPET” can be integrated into recycling streams because these products are chemically identical to the fossil-based “PE” and “PET” versions. Other bio-based plastics require their own special recycling process, with the waste volume of bio-based plastic recycling being of large quantity to make it economically viable(Golden Arrow,2021).
Biodegradable plastics that can not be recycled through normal recycling processes have the potential to be used for energy recovery based on the product's decomposition. In waste incineration facilities, the C02 produced from the incinerated bio-based plastics can be easily captured again to create new bio-based products. However, biodegradable plastics can not decompose without aid or the proper ingredients, with these conditions most easily made in composting facilities. Given that most plastics are created with a variety of materials that obstruct the decomposition process on an” at home” scale, the industrial composting biowaste can be incorporated into regular compost or for biogas plants as renewable energy, according to the Golden Arrow America, sustainable packing company, 2021.
Efforts such as these would reduce the demand and contamination of land fields, and to embrace the benefits of biodegradable plastics in the forms of its production, usage, and recycling gains. This can be observed by the following quote by Golden Arrow America, “ To place bioplastics in a landfill is to miss the opportunity to dispose of the bioplastics in a way that is useful to the earth and society. Landfills with biodegradable plastics, even fossil and bio-based ones, can result in higher methane emissions, which increases a negative climate impact. While it’s better to move away from the use of plastics, this cannot always be done easily. Therefore, when you use plastics, choose to dispose of it in a way that honors the earth and the future.”(2021)
Proposals
Thus, directives to be taken by the University of Tennessee, in an effort to reduce its plastic waste usage, are recommended based upon the cited information and in combination with current recycling policy on the institution's campus. First, the campus should only utilize biodegradable plastic products within all of its buildings, and facilities, and make special disposal bins to accompany the pre existing ones that are currently in these facilities for recycling. The suppliers of these biodegradable products should be approved by the university, and it's office of sustainability for verification of the products ethical and sustainable production measures. Second, a separate recycling program, or one in coordination with the current U.T. or Knoxville recycling systems, should be made for the recycling of biodegradable plastics, and expansion of accommodation of typical plastic products until these can be phased out totally. Third, separation of biodegradable plastics between those products that shall serve better be recycled, or incorporated into the university food composting program, with potential from the energy services, or science departments of the university to conduct studies on the ability to capture C02 gas for energy purposes. Accompanying these new or additional methods to the recycling system of the University of Tennessee, coordination with food serve providers, event coordinators, university policy makers, students, and needed city officials to implement logical and efficient systems of workings on campus, and systems services shall also be required in this implementation. Further subsidiary steps could involve and evaluation of U.T plastic waste that flows to nearby waterways, reducing plastic products at game day events or other waste products with special systems of collection in place for large events, and a policy of accountability for the enforcement of these much needed changes. Systems such as these are what shall guide the University of Tennessee at Knoxville towards a much more bright and efficient future.
Below are figures(in order) I,II,III, from the sources cited within the research document above:(Narancic et al. 2021, All things Bio 2021, Torres-Cornejo,2016)
References
University of Tennessee, Office of Admissions and Information, (2021)
Torres, F.G, and Héctor Cornejo. “The Need for Technical Improvement in the Plastics Recycling Industry in Middle-Income Countries: The Peruvian Case.” Progress in rubber, plastics and recycling technology 32.4 (2016): 201–212. Web.
(Torres,Cornejo,2016)
do Val Siqueira, Larissa et al. “Starch-Based Biodegradable Plastics: Methods of Production, Challenges and Future Perspectives.” Current opinion in food science 38 (2021): 122–130. Web.
Golden Arrow Sustainability( 2021), How to dispose of Bioplastics,( and accompanying sources)
All Things Bio, (2021), How to dispose of Bioplastics? http://www.allthings.bio/dispose-bio-based-plastics/
Envirobites,(2021) Disposal Method Matters: The Truth Behind Biodegradable Plastics https://envirobites.org/2019/03/13/disposal-method-matters-the-truth-behind-biodegradable-plastics/
Naranic et al.(2018), American Chemical Society
