Sustainable Plastic Recycling Methods: Benefits And Significance

The Importance of Recycling Plastic

Disucuss about the Sustainable Approach towards Plastic Recycling.

Plastic recycling is one of the most effective methods to convert the waste products in the purpose of keeping the environment clean and reduce the possibilities of environmental pollution and health hazards (dana Gopal et al., 2014).

This report encases the details about some of the sustainable actions and measures that can be taken to successfully recycle plastics and minimize the harmful impacts of the same on the external environment.

The purpose of this report is to help understand the significance of plastic recycling and why recycling needs to be done.

Plastic recycling is one of the important steps to keep the environment clean and hazard free. However, the main problem statement is sustainable means to recycle plastics is one of the effective and efficient ways to recycle the plastics and keep the environment hazard free. The main area of investigation that has been chosen is based on the initiative that can be taken to successfully use sustainable means to recycle plastics as a part of the recycling program. Plastics is the main source of non-degradable products, which takes a lot of time to decompose, and the sometimes the recycling proves to be too costly and directly or indirectly these methods also lay an impact on the external environment. The main purpose of doing the same is to excavate newer ways to degrade and recycle plastics without dispersing any of the harmful effects on the environment and its components.

This topic has been selected due to certain consideration. The main reason why this topic has been selected is that there is lack of sustenance when the consumption comes into the role. The need for a sustainable change is utmost needed when there is a lack of resource and the levels of contamination are comparatively higher. Based on the research, the idea has been taken up to decide how plastics can be recycled and used for sustainability, also minimizing the levels of pollution in the environment and reducing the health hazards (Vethaak & Leslie, 2016). Plastics is the type of materials that are most commonly used in the daily life, which is mainly comprised of some kind of organic polymer with the molecules of carbon that form long chains determining its non degradable nature.  The chemical alterations and contributions from external source make it more durable to decomposition (Taylor et al., 2014). In addition, it can be assumed that the breakdown process is too long for the plastics to break down before any other artificial processing methods and in the process, more plastics would be manufactured to increase contribution to the pollution (Sykes & Skinner, 2015). The main purpose of this topic is to discuss the benefits of adopting sustainable means to recycle the plastics in a more efficient manner than the traditional means of recycling. This report also helps understand the methods in which the plastics can be used as one of the sustainable resources that be put to use reducing pressure on the environment as well as on the other resources (Maxwell, 2013).

Challenges in Traditional Plastic Recycling

The research questions have been developed to help add advantage to the topic of the discussion, impart valid knowledge related to the plastics and its influence to the external environment, and determine the interrelationship with the other prospects. This also provides information regarding the role of sustainability and government in the other conventional methods of plastic recycling.

1. Why are plastics considered as one of the environmental and health hazards?
2. Why is a sustainable form of recycling most needed in the current situation?
3. How is technology influential in the degradation of the plastics?
4. What is the government role in the sustainable recycling of the plastics or lessening the impacts of plastics on the external environment?

To achieve a better output related to this assignment, the research has been mostly done through the gathering of information and research by the reading of valid online websites and sources such as newspaper articles available in the books. The information was mainly regarding the traditional forms of plastic and plastic recycling along with the other sustainable actions and methods that can be taken for the recycling of the plastics. It can be justified that the biodegradable forms of plastics are a very new concept relevant to this topic and thus it has been easier and more convenient to look for them in the online sources. Certain data on the plastic consumption and recycling have also been found on the websites of the chemistry and environment-related pages and websites, along with their annual reports. With the help of the online research, the focus was to gather information related to the other sustainable ways of recycling plastics. In the course of the research process, while looking for relevant scholarly articles and information, there have been few challenges that have been faced. One of the main challenges that were come across was the relevancy of the information. There are many websites, which informs about plastic recycling, but they lack in an elaborative description. The similarity of the information was yet another challenge since plastic recycling is such an aspect that is known to all but the lack of exceptional information had been missing in most of the articles and websites. This in turn enforced in the detailed and precise surfing of the online sites with hope to gather the desired information regarding the topic. It can be further elaborate that the lack of precise and empirical data has also been one of the circumstances that posed a challenged for this research. The effective utilization of precise keywords such as sustainable recycling, plastic recycling, biodegradable plastics has been used to find the relevant information regarding the topic.  Even though there were no significant data regarding this research, relevant information related to the topic has helped in the secondary research method that has been used in this assignment.

Sustainable Recycling Methods for Plastics

Based on the secondary research that has been undertaken in the process, certain relevant information has been found related to the research questions that have been developed in the previous mention section of this assignment. In accordance with the research and the information gathered from the same, the following discussions have been summarized.

 Plastic is considered to be one of the health and environmental hazards even though they are more convenient to use. Plastics are harmful to the manufacture and pose a lot of challenges for the environment, health, and recycling (Taylor, 2014)). It can be stated that the chemical that is used for the manufacturing of the plastics are highly toxic and contain carcinogens (cancer-causing agent), which is considered to affect the nervous system, blood composition and the kidney (Philp, 2015). The lead stabilizers used in the manufacturing of the PVC pipes are the common additives used in the process, which is a poison that not only poses a threat to the users but also the workers who work in the manufacturing process (Dormer et al., 2013). The destruction of the plastics by the incineration process not only affects the humans but pollutes the environmental components as well. The tossing of the plastics to break down naturally is also increases the toxicity of the land which in turn can affect the animals and plants, in the process. Plastics can affect the environment in their own manner (Jambeck et al., 2015). The dumping of plastics in the Pacific Ocean do not degrade easily and breaks down into smaller pieces due to external influence, which is gradually consumed by animals, finally ending up in the platter causing a problem for everyone (Bergmann, Gutow & Klages, 2015).

Recycling of plastics or using the plastics to make other products is not an easy task which everyone considers. Primarily, plastics are made with a long chain of carbon components, that makes the plastic resistant to external force and corrosion along with the added preservative in the manufacturing of the same make them even stronger to corrosion (Papaspyrides & Kiliaris, 2014). In the traditional process of conversion of plastics external efforts along with the separation process for the polymer recovering and is extremely complicated, creating barriers to manufacture other products with enough purity. These impurities included products further triggers devaluation of degraded plastics resulting in further toxicities. Therefore, for these reasons, it can be stated that there is an immense need for an alternative and sustainable form of recycling for the plastics (Accorsi et al., 2014).

Technological Advancements in Sustainable Plastics Recycling

With the progress in technologies, certain ways have been discovered that can effectively break down these plastics and lessen the effects of the same. The invention of biodegradable plastics by the use of renewable and more sustainable form of energy is an innovation, which is contributed by the advancement of the technology (Epstein & Buhovac, 2014). This is the process where starch obtained from plants and crops like potatoes are modified into a different kind of polymer and lactic acid, which is eventually used for the making of the plastics. The manual harvesting of microorganisms converts the starch into monomers, with the existing technology linking the chains monomers into polymers, which is gradually transformed into biodegradable plastics (Eriksson et al., 2014). Another form of plastics that are derived with the help of technologies is oxo-biodegradable plastics, made from refined oil (Brunner & Rechberger, 2015). On further addition, a company named Weelabrator Technologies Inc. has successfully developed technologies that can obtain energy by the combustion of the plastic waste that is collected, thus turning the plastic into one form of clean renewable form of energy (electricity) (Kiddee, Naidu & Wong, 2013). This is a form of sustainable energy that in turn can be used in the generation of another source of energy, in turn also meeting the air quality standard requirements, controlling the emissions. With the help of this discussion, it can be justified that technology has a huge contribution to the process of sustainable plastic recycling (Castilla, 2013).

The government has been playing an important role in the regulations and the policies involving the concerns of reducing the harms, which is done by the plastic wastes. The government agencies such as the Plastics Industry Associations have introduced coding for the material that can be helpful for the other to understand the plastics that can recyclable and non-recyclable (Callan & Thomas, 2013). Packing wastes such as plastic bottles are considered as priority wastes under the Queensland strategy. However, it can be added that the reforms and acts vary from state to state, according to the emphasis, which is put in the plastic waste. In addition, enabling laws and restriction in the reduced usage of plastics is a direct way to reduce the amount of plastic wastage (Rigamonti et al., 2014).  It can further be stated that there are several other governments as the government of New Guinea has strictly put a ban on the use of plastics along with the production and the distribution of the non-biodegradable plastics. In this manner, it can be justified that the role of government is somewhat influential in the management of plastic waste and waste recycling. Nonetheless, it can be further added that the reduced use of plastics is an effort that is not executed easily and it takes a lot of time to see the effects of the same (Durant & Fiorino, 2017).

Role of the Government in Sustainable Plastic Recycling

Conclusion and Implications

Based on the research it can be concluded that Plastics are one of the elements that are unavoidable and is the necessary evil. Plastics even though has a lot of purposeful utility, the unused material causes many problems for the environment as well as the living organism living in it. Traditional plastics are a form of non-degradable resources that do not degrade easily without any external effort. Managing of the plastics has become one of the major challenges for the society and the environment. This assignment has been done with an extensive research focusing on plastic recycling and its impact on the environment. Based on the outcome, the suggestions to use a sustainable form of recycling and alternative have been imparted. However, it can be concluded that different forms of solution can be combined to get the best result. The government can take up initiatives to notify the public by explaining them the risks of using and wasting plastics as well as the benefits of the reduced usage. Taking care of the environment to a certain extent can affect the economic, which is equally important. Nonetheless, the best solution for recycling plastics is the use of biodegradable plastics, even though the concept is new and needs to undergo many formulations. The only implication that can be added is the reduced use, using of alternatives, sustainable recycling can lay, and impact on the economics since the efforts to save and conserve the environment can severely affect the plastic manufacturing industry, which is worth millions of dollars. The control over the industry would also see the loss of livelihood of several workers, working the plastic manufacturing industry. The installation of sustainable recycling system would require a huge investment that might pose a huge challenge new thinking and concepts are often unheard by the common due to lack of critical evaluation. It can further be added that the reduced usage of the plastics is difficult due to the traditional habit of plastics usage, but several incentives to effectively reduce the usage of plastics can be one of the sustainable methods to plastic use reduction and recycling.

The Australian Curriculum Science strand has three interrelated strands for the learning process of the students. The three strands refer to the Science Understanding, Science as Human Endeavour and Science Enquiry Skills. The three strands of the module help in providing the students the understanding, knowledge, and skills, which in turn would help the students to develop an exceptional scientific view regarding the world, also the students would be imparted with challenges to explore the science behind every phenomenon and investigate the purpose behind the same. The strand of science understanding helps an individual to select and integrate appropriate scientific knowledge in the explanation as well as the prediction of the same. This strand also includes facts and figure along with theories and model to establish a rational and valid concept over the aspects. Science as Human Endeavor is the strand that mainly highlights the influence of science upon the society with relevance to the social and ethical concerns. This also focuses on the development of science as an explicit way of knowing and doing along with the role of science in the decision-making as well as problem-solving. In addition, this strand also includes the contribution of different individuals and the cultures in the process. The third strand, Science inquiry skills emphasizes the identification and the analysis of certain actions by the method of questioning, planning, and reflection of the investigation that has been carried out by the individuals. In other words, this section mainly deals with the arguments and the justification of the taken actions with evidence.

Year	Content descriptor	How is this related to the project
Australian Curriculum (Year 4)	In this year, the learning is based on the observable properties of the materials are explained and discusses the natural and human process changes to the Earth’s surfaces. In other words, in this can be explained as the utilization of scientific knowledge to help explain the people about the effects of their actions.	It can be stated that the specific aspects of the project, which is related to the three strands, is the discussions on the kind of plastics that are used for the recycling in the initiative and the influence of the human knowledge to learn the effects of the process. The method used for researching and analysis also exhibits strong links with the three strands of the 4th year’s learning module.

Specific statement of sustainability	How specifically this related to the project
The cross-curriculum priority of sustainability mainly helps understand the ways of the social, economic and environmental systems that interact to support and maintain human life.	This is specifically related to the project since this project excavates different conventional and unique procedures to reduce the usage of plastics and are the sustainable ways to recycle them. This project further lays emphasis on the influence of the same with the various social, economic and environmental systems to help maintain and support human lives.

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