Plastic waste recycling – Protect environment and resources

Recycling plastic waste is being considered as one of the most effective solutions to minimize adverse impacts on the environment, save resources, reduce emissions, and minimize the waste of raw materials. Learn more about the benefits of plastic waste recycling, plastic waste recycling ideas, plastic waste recycling technology, plastic waste recycling products in the article below.

1. What is plastic pollution?

1.1 Concept

Plastic waste pollution is environmental pollution caused by the accumulation and excessive use of plastic products, which adversely affects the living environment. Plastic waste includes single-use plastic products, bottles, plastic bags, toys and other household products. These products are not naturally biodegradable and are often dumped into the natural environment, causing pollution and seriously affecting the health of humans, animals and ecosystems.

Plastic waste can end up in seas, rivers, streams, lakes, land and air, creating worrisome consequences such as clogging of drainage roads, soil poisoning, clogging of drainage channels, water backlogs and degradation of local ecosystems. This impact especially affects coastal areas, where plastic waste can directly affect flora and fauna living on the seabed.

1.2 Benefits of recycling plastic waste

The recycling of plastic waste brings many environmental and human benefits. Here are some of the benefits of recycling plastic waste:

· Reduce environmental pollution and protect natural resources;

· Minimize the release of harmful emissions into the air;

· Save energy and resources;

· Minimizing waste and increasing resource availability;

· Create high-quality recycled plastic products;

· Create millions of recycling jobs worldwide;

· Save production costs for enterprises;

· Minimize waste transportation and disposal costs;

· Create a cost-effective manufacturing and supply chain;

· Contribute to creating a sustainable future for the planet.

1.3 Plastic pollution situation in Vietnam

According to statistics from the Vietnam Environmental Protection Organization (ENV), every day in Vietnam, about 19,000 tons of waste are generated, of which up to 60% is plastic waste. Another study by the Institute for Science and Technology Research and Development (INEST) showed that Vietnam is one of the largest producers and users of plastic in the world, with an output of about 2.5 million tons / year. However, only about 27% of plastic waste is recycled and reused, with the rest going to landfills or dumped directly into the environment.

Plastic pollution affects many aspects of life, from water and air pollution to human health. Many roads, landscapes and beautiful landscapes of Vietnam have been covered with plastic waste patches, losing their natural beauty and attraction to tourists. According to a survey by the Center for Technology Research and Application of Hanoi National University, by 2017, Vietnam consumed about 1.8 million tons of plastic per year, of which about 730,000 tons were plastic waste. Without intervention, this figure could continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

To solve plastic pollution, it is necessary to have consensus and coordination between organizations, individuals and communities to strengthen education and raise awareness of environmental protection. Above all, encouraging creative ideas from recycling plastic waste.

2. Some plastic waste recycling ideas

2.1 Recycling plastic waste into school supplies

Recycling plastic waste to create school supplies is an innovative and environmentally beneficial idea. By recycling plastics like PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, we can create many useful products for education such as extra boards, board frames, containers, bookshelves and more. This not only helps reduce the amount of plastic waste, but also saves costs for the purchase of new school supplies.

2.2 Recycling plastic waste into building materials

Building materials made from plastic waste can include walls, plumbing, insulation, and other materials in the construction industry. A number of plastic construction products have been developed, including wall panels, moisture-resistant materials, sound shields and plumbing. These materials are manufactured from plastics such as PET and HDPE, and meet the requirements of quality and construction standards.

2.3 Recycling plastic waste to make toys

Plastic waste can be recycled into a number of close toys such as:

· Toy cars: plastic bottles that can be cut out and assembled to create toy car models.

· Aircraft and ships: Plastic bottles can be cut and assembled to create unique models of aircraft and ships.

· Assembly toys: With small pieces of plastic can create assembly toys such as robots, drones and other machines.

· Educational toys: Plastic waste can be used to create educational toys such as alphabets, maps and math exercises.

2.4 Recycling plastic waste into decorations

Decorative products from plastic waste can be created by recycling plastic through processing, design and manufacturing. These products can be used to decorate homes, offices, cafes, bars or other public areas. Such as recycling into decorative murals, patterns or stickers on the walls. Or there may also be ideas for recycling plastic waste to create other decorative items such as photo frames, desk decorations, tapestries and flower pots.

And all these ideas make recycling plastic waste more useful and enjoyable, while helping to reduce environmental pollution.

3. Plastic waste recycling model

3.1 Recycling Park in Rotterdam, Netherlands

In August 2018, the Recycled Island Foundation and 25 stakeholder partners introduced the world’s first floating park after 5 years of research and funding. This recycling park is made entirely of plastic and trash floating in the river. The amount of recycled plastic used to create floating platforms forms into a hexagonal pattern, recreating the landscape of the Maas River in Rotterdam before humans affected the environment.

Designed to reduce plastic pollution and create habitat for organisms, these floating platforms attract the growth of plants above and below the river surface, provide an essential food source for marine life and encourage fish to lay eggs below the surface of the water.

3.2 Recycling roads in Rotterdam, Netherlands

In the Netherlands, an eco-friendly road with recycled plastic was launched by construction company VolkerWessels. This is considered a measure to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the environment.

This road paved with recycled asphalt is considered to have more superior features, helping to shorten construction and maintenance time. In addition, the arrangement of pipes and cables under the road surface has also become easier, supporting the drainage and reducing congestion of water pipes.

3.3 MR6 model in Cumbira, England

McCartney and experts in Scotland have researched and recycled plastic into a new material called MR6. This model uses waste plastic, agricultural and commercial waste to create road mats that are 60% better quality and last 10 times longer than conventional asphalt roads.

3.4 Technology to turn waste into petroleum in Russia

Russian scientists have used technology to recycle plastic waste into petroleum raw materials. The pyrolysis method in an anaerobic medium is used to break the bonds in the plastic material and convert it into a gas, after which the gas is condensed into a petroleum liquid. This method is considered environmentally friendly because it does not produce contaminants.

3.5 Technology to “turn garbage into money” in Japan

Pet Refine Technology (PRT) in Japan has launched a plan to procure recycled products from plastic waste into renewable materials. Every day, PRT collects trash from Tokyo and Kawasaki to process it into white plastic beads. This product is exported to China and has brought great profits to the company. This recycling line is considered as a successful “turn garbage into money” model with a very low investment cost.

3.6 The “borrowed water bottle” model applied in Norway

Norway is considered an advanced country in the treatment of plastic waste, with a recycling rate of plastic bottles up to 97%. One of their successful strategies was to adopt a “borrow a water bottle” model.

Accordingly, when buying a plastic water bottle, consumers will pay an additional fee of 13-30 cents (equivalent to 3,000-7,000 VND). Once used, consumers can return the bottle at automated machines located throughout the city and will receive a refund just by scanning the barcode on the bottle. In addition, convenience stores also have programs to give money and reward points when customers return used plastic bottles, to encourage people to protect the environment.

3.7 Belgium adopts Ecolizer and Green Events waste management process

Belgium is one of the leading countries in recycling waste globally. Scientists have developed two unique methods, Ecolizer and Green Events, to measure a product’s impact on the environment. This system allows organizations to calculate the negative consequences of dumping garbage into the environment.

3.8 Biotechnology for recycling PET plastic in Austria

A company in Austria has applied high technology by using enzymes from a fungus to recycle PET plastic. These enzymes will help break down PET plastic into smaller molecules, which then go through a rigorous recycling process to convert into high-quality plastic. This method has been highly praised by international environmental experts for helping to change the state of environmental pollution in Austria. Thanks to the discovery of the plastic-eating enzyme, regulators have found more ways to recycle PET plastic, instead of using environmentally damaging methods of incineration or crushing waste.

3.9 Policy to make Sweden the “King of Recycling”

Sweden is considered one of the leading countries in waste recycling. It is worth noting that the country had to import garbage to ensure the operation of recycling plants. The reuse policy is implemented uniformly across the country and has sparked great attention with the “Miljonar-vanglig” campaign, a nationwide campaign to encourage sharing and reuse. An environmental company has emulated many of Sweden’s successful methods for becoming a zerowaste nation, including building recycling stations everywhere, not throwing away leftover medicines, organizing a campaign to sort garbage together, and more.

3.10 Japan turns garbage into clothes and paving tiles

The Minato Resource Recycling Center has brought plastic bins for recyclables to the factory for treatment. The workers will sort garbage and convert it into useful products. The center’s glass waste recycling line has a capacity of up to one ton per hour.

The process of recycling glass waste will turn bottles into pieces of glass, which are used to make paving materials, or recycled into new glass bottles. The center also has a metal waste disposal line, with a compression capacity of up to 1,400 boxes at once, generating canned materials, building materials and even being recycled into new bottles, fibers or stationery.

4. Today’s waste recycling technology

Currently, waste recycling technology is increasingly focused and developed. Many new technologies are applied to help optimize the recycling process and minimize negative impacts on the environment.

One of the new technologies applied is plasma. This technology uses a high-energy source to break down waste and turn it into a non-toxic gas or liquid. Plasma technology is applied to many types of waste, from household waste to industrial waste.

In addition, bioreactor technology is also another waste recycling solution that is applied a lot today through the use of bacteria to decompose waste, produce biogas and organic fertilizer. Therefore, bioreactor technology is widely applied to the treatment of organic waste.

In addition to introducing models, technology products, the exhibition on waste treatment equipment and solutions, recycling technology to protect the environment – Waste and Recycling Vietnam 2023 also aims to introduce the latest solutions in the field of waste treatment and recycling to protect the environment. WRV 2023 by RX Tradex is a gathering place for experts, businesses and researchers around the world to share experiences and solutions on waste treatment and recycling, contributing to environmental protection. This will definitely be an opportunity for businesses to approach and apply the latest trends in their industry!

5. Conclusion

If you are interested in the benefits of plastic waste recycling, learn about plastic waste recycling ideas, plastic waste recycling technology and applied plastic waste recycling products, do not give up this opportunity. Register for WRV 2023 today!