scholarly journals Kas atsakingas už švarius vandenynus?

2020 ◽  
pp. 202-228
Author(s):  
Gretė Bagdonaitė ◽  
Leila Abi Chaker
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
International Regulation ◽  
Ocean Pollution ◽  
Pollution Problem ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Ocean Ecosystem ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
National Economies

More and more oceans are polluted by plastic waste emmitted by humans. Unrestricted production and consumption of plastic products have a major negative impact not only on the world’s lungs – the oceans but also on human health. Ocean plastic pollution is caused by human activities, particularly land-based activities. Therefore, this article addresses two key aspects that should be tackled with this pollution problem. First, the article presents the existing international regulation directed against ocean pollution by land-based sources, highlighting its inefficiencies and shortcomings, while suggesting what decisions should be taken on the international scene. Secondly, Secondly, it discusses ways in which the amount of plastic waste generated can be reduced, with positive consequences not only for the ocean ecosystem but also for national economies.

scholarly journals Innovative approaches to plastic waste recycling using the example of the textile industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (46) ◽  
pp. 234-243
Author(s):  
Ivan Abramenko ◽  
Kseniya Boyeva ◽  
Oksana Dubskaya ◽  
Vladimir Gubachev ◽  
Anton Murzin
Keyword(s):  
Textile Industry ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Waste Processing ◽  
Pollution Problem ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
The World ◽  
Recycling Technology ◽  
Plastic Waste Recycling

Nowadays, pollution problem is very acute all over the world. Significant reduction of negative impact of pollutants on humans and the environment, as well as the improvement of a number of environmental and economic indicators can be ensured by the achievement by the countries of a proper level of development in the waste recycling issue. Within the framework of this article, the problems of plastic waste processing and the introduction of innovative solutions for their disposal and recycling are considered. The research aims to study the innovative ways of plastic waste recycling and assess the feasibility of their use in the textile industry. In the course of the study, the experience of introducing innovative environmentally-oriented technologies for plastic waste recycling was studied, the main approaches and strategies for introducing environmental innovations, as well as priority areas of environmentally oriented innovations in production, were considered. The main result of the study includes reasonable proposals for the implementation of plastic waste recycling technology in the production of textiles.

scholarly journals Determinants of Unsafe Plastic Waste Disposal among Households in the Tamale Metropolitan Area, Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kombiok ◽  
Kingsley Atta Nyamekye ◽  
Rita Adjei ◽  
Leslie Danquah
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Global Discourse ◽  
Strict Enforcement ◽  
Key Aspects

Background. The global discourse on plastic waste generation and disposal has over the last two decades, gained traction with the aid of research-based evidence. Though observed globally, the situation is quickly deteriorating in developing countries such as Ghana. In Ghana and Africa as a whole, rapidly increasing population and rural to urban migration have been cited as factors that exacerbate the existing struggles with plastic pollution. This study aimed at identifying the determinants of unsafe plastic waste disposal among households. Methods. The study was carried out in three communities in Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana. Data were collected from 270 randomly selected households through household surveys, key informant interviews, and direct field observations. Results. The study revealed that the majority (63.3%) of the total respondents used and disposed of their plastic waste “unsafely.” The analysis showed that the education level and household wealth were significant determinants of unsafe plastic disposal. Conclusion. The study concludes that challenges of plastic waste management are not limited to economic, technical, and institutional factors, but social factors such as human behavior are key aspects of waste management that need attention. The study, therefore, recommends strict enforcement of sanitation by-laws, promotion of education, and provision of alternatives to plastics that will minimize the need for importing and manufacturing plastics, as potential steps towards addressing unsafe disposal of plastics in the domestic environment.

The Trash Tracker: A Macroplastic Fate and Transport Model at River Basin Scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvette Mellink ◽  
Tim van Emmerik ◽  
Charlotte Laufkötter ◽  
Merel Kooi ◽  
Helge Niemann
Keyword(s):  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Type Of Land Use ◽  
Practical Tool ◽  
Ocean Gyres ◽  
Global Concern

<p>Plastic pollution in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is of growing global concern due to its negative impact on environmental health and human livelihood. Most plastic research to date focused on observing and modelling plastic in the oceans, revealing that the highest plastic concentrations are found in the five ocean gyres (“the garbage patches”). Plastic waste originating from land has been identified as the main source of marine plastic debris. Yet it remains highly uncertain which processes control the mobilisation and transport of plastic waste over land to rivers and eventually to the ocean. Here, we introduce the Trash Tracker, a numerical model to forecast the pathways and fate of plastic waste in terrestrial and freshwater systems. In this model, the plastic transporting agents, wind and surface runoff, are resisted by the friction of the terrain. The terrain resistance, a function of the surface slope and the type of land use, is translated to thresholds that define the critical wind and surface runoff conditions required to mobilise and transport macroplastics. By repeatedly checking whether the wind and/or surface runoff conditions are strong enough to overcome their respective thresholds, the Trash Tracker simulates the transport of plastics and allows us to identify accumulation hotspots and high probability transport routes of plastic waste within river basins. This makes the Trash Tracker a practical tool for preventing, mitigating and reducing plastic pollution in the natural environment.</p>

scholarly journals Love-Hate Relationship with Plastic? Explicitly and Implicitly Measured Valence and Risk Attitudes Towards Plastic Packaging, Plastic Waste, and Microplastic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Menzel ◽  
Julia Brom ◽  
Lea Marie Heidbreder
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Change ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Single Category ◽  
Problem Awareness ◽  
Two Sides ◽  
Glass Metal

Within society, problem awareness related to plastic pollution is high. Nevertheless, plastic production and consumption is constantly increasing. Plastic consumption expresses two sides of a coin: consumers appreciate plastic packaging for its practicability and other benefits, likewise they also experience concern especially related to pollution with waste and microplastic. In the current work, we systematically investigated valence- (Study 1; N = 103) and risk- (Study 2; N = 105) related attitudes towards plastic packaging, plastic waste, and microplastic. Therefore, we measured participants’ attitudes implicitly and explicitly. By using single-category implicit association tests, we revealed that packaging and microplastic were automatically evaluated as ‘bad’ and neutral regarding risk, and waste as ‘bad’ and ‘risky’. Explicit responses in both studies highlighted an overall negative evaluation of all plastic forms. Thereby, packaging was rated as less ‘bad’, ‘unpleasant’, ‘unpractical’, and ‘risky’ (in general and for the environmental) than waste and microplastic. The latter was evaluated as much riskier for human health than packaging and waste. Environmental risk ratings were generally very high. In comparison to other materials (paper, glass, metal), plastic was generally rated as worse and riskier. We conclude that attitudes related to plastic mirror high problem awareness and, therefore, plastic-reduction interventions should support consumers in acting according to their attitudes rather than addressing only awareness and attitude change.

Political aspects of security of the European Union Member States

2020 ◽  
pp. 97-105
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Kusztykiewicz-Fedurek
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Political Security ◽  
New Institutions ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
The Eu

Political security is very often considered through the prism of individual states. In the scholar literature in-depth analyses of this kind of security are rarely encountered in the context of international entities that these countries integrate. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to key aspects of political security in the European Union (EU) Member States. The EU as a supranational organisation, gathering Member States first, ensures the stability of the EU as a whole, and secondly, it ensures that Member States respect common values and principles. Additionally, the EU institutions focus on ensuring the proper functioning of the Eurozone (also called officially “euro area” in EU regulations). Actions that may have a negative impact on the level of the EU’s political security include the boycott of establishing new institutions conducive to the peaceful coexistence and development of states. These threats seem to have a significant impact on the situation in the EU in the face of the proposed (and not accepted by Member States not belonging to the Eurogroup) Eurozone reforms concerning, inter alia, appointment of the Minister of Economy and Finance and the creation of a new institution - the European Monetary Fund.

Global challenges to functioning of precious gemstones market

2019 ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
Maryna Khmara
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Ecological Responsibility ◽  
Global Challenges ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Managerial Strategies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Complicated Nature

The peculiarities of gemstone market functioning under the impact of globalization are examined. Modern condition of financial stabilization in world is defined and main features of gemstones are outlined. Negative impact of illegal market on socio-economic development of countries, namely on revenues to the country’s budget from the business, is revealed. The importance of the problem of transferring most of gemstones processing operations beyond the countries of production is emphasized. Poor public control over the circulation of precious stones is proven. The challenges are substantiated to be aggravating under the impact of globalization. The diamonds market, which has peculiar high demand, is analyzed: diamonds and derivatives account for 85% of global turnover. Application of managerial strategies for gemstones market to efficiently use resources is defined to be complicated by the fact that managerial strategies impact the high cost of product items and its variability; unique features; intangible qualities; complicated processing. More environmentally friendly production and social responsibility are confirmed to have impact on forming of demand on gemstones. Investment attractiveness of gemstones, except for diamonds, is proven to be low. Condition of production and consumption of diamonds is analyzed. Development condition of the market segment – non-diamonds gemstones – is shown. The activity of small enterprises and households engaged in gemstones production is confirmed to be characterized by chaotic and complicated nature of broker networks, leading to aggravated global challenges. The paper defines that expansion of spectrum and emergence of new opportunities for illegal activity, reduced income and loss of other types of economic benefits, growing negative ecological and social impact, growing exploitation of workers at illegal enterprises remain to be the global challenges of gemstones market functioning. The author suggests increasing of social and ecological responsibility of business, strengthening of the state regulating functions and promotion of gemstones market legalization in order to reduce the challenges.

scholarly journals Beverage bottle capacity, packaging efficiency, and the potential for plastic waste reduction

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Becerril-Arreola ◽  
R. E. Bucklin
Keyword(s):  
Product Category ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Pet Waste ◽  
Pet Bottles ◽  
Enormous Amount ◽  
Packaging Efficiency ◽  
The U.S

AbstractPlastic pollution is a pressing issue because authorities struggle to contain and process the enormous amount of waste produced. We study the potential for reducing plastic waste by examining the efficiency with which different polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles deliver beverages. We find that 80% of the variation in bottle weight is explained by bottle capacity, 16% by product category, and 1% by brand. Bottle weight is quadratic and convex function of capacity, which implies that medium capacity bottles are most efficient at delivering consumable product. Local data on PET bottle sales and municipal waste recovery validate the findings. A 20% shift in consumption from smaller to larger bottles could reduce the production of PET waste by over 10,000 t annually in the U.S. alone.

scholarly journals Clean Enzymatic depolymerization of highly crystalline polyethylene terephthalate in moist-solid reaction mixtures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Kaabel ◽  
J. P. Daniel Therien ◽  
Catherine E. Deschênes ◽  
Dustin Duncan ◽  
Tomislav Friščić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polyethylene Terephthalate ◽  
Metal Organic Framework ◽  
Direct Synthesis ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Solid Reaction ◽  
Pollution Problem ◽  
Metal Organic ◽  
Dilute Aqueous Solutions ◽  
Space Time Yield ◽  
Crystalline Forms

AbstractLess than 9% of the plastic produced is recycled after use, contributing to the global plastic pollution problem. While polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics, its thermomechanical recycling generates a material of lesser quality. Enzymes are highly selective, renewable catalysts active at mild temperatures; however, the current consensus is that they lack activity towards the more crystalline forms of PET. We report here that when used in moist-solid reaction mixtures instead of the typical dilute aqueous solutions, enzymes can directly depolymerize high crystallinity PET in 13-fold higher space-time yield and a 15-fold higher enzyme efficiency than prior reports. Further, this process shows a 26-fold selectivity for terephthalic acid over other hydrolysis products, which allows the direct synthesis of UiO-66 metal-organic framework.

scholarly journals Preliminary Study on Abundance of Microplastic in Sediments and Water Samples Along the Coast of Pakistan (Sindh and Balochistan)-Northern Arabian Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (Special Issue) ◽  
Author(s):  
Quratulan Ahmed ◽  
Qadeer Mohammad Ali ◽  
Levent Bat ◽  
Aysah Oztekin ◽  
Sehrish Memon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Plastic Material ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Sediment Samples ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Northern Arabian Sea ◽  
Pollution Problem ◽  
High Pollution ◽  
Preliminary Study

Plastic material dominates our life and accordingly, it dominates the environment as a pollutant. Pakistan coasts are facing with plastic pollution problem like the rest of the world. The number and types of microplastics found in sea water and sediment samples from 25 locations along the Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan were explored in this study. The results of the present study show that the region is under a high pollution from microplastics. Microplastic abundance in seawater was found as mean 582.12±246.14 particle. L-1 and in sediment samples was mean 987.40±617.06 particle.kg-1 dry sediment. Microplastic concentration was maximum in Manora both seawater and sediment samples. Fibers were major contribution to total microplastics, up to 99% of all samples both seawater and sediment samples.

scholarly journals How important risk analysis of plastic pollution in coastal area? Case study in Masohi, Central Maluku

2020 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 02014
Author(s):  
Bachtiar W Mutaqin ◽  
Muh Aris Marfai ◽  
Muhammad Helmi ◽  
Nurhadi Nurhadi ◽  
Muhammad Rizali Umarella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Marine Biota ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Almost All ◽  
And Function ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study

Human pressure on the coastal and aquatic surrounding ecosystem in Indonesia, through plastic waste, is increasing, considering that 60 % of the approximately 250 million people live in the coastal areas. Plastic waste originating from human activities has become a massive problem in almost all the small island and coastal regions, especially in the eastern part of Indonesia. This condition is caused by poor waste management and a lack of public awareness in disposing of waste in its place, including in an area known as its marine biodiversities and marine tourism spots like Masohi in Central Maluku. Also, the composition of waste is dominated by plastic waste that cannot be decomposed in a short period, continue circulated on the ocean currents, and will be deposited in coastal areas. Furthermore, some plastic waste will break down into micro-plastics that pollute not only the environment but also marine biota, which are often consumed by humans. This situation profoundly affects the sustainability and function of aquaecosystem services in coastal areas. Therefore, a comprehensive policy and regulation, and interdisciplinary study for analysing vulnerable coastal ecosystem, and mitigating the potential risk of plastic pollution in Masohi, Central Maluku are essential to be conducted.

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