Efficient Plastic Recycling and Remolding Circular Economy Using the Technology of Trust–Blockchain

Global plastic waste is increasing rapidly. In general, densely populated regions generate tons of plastic waste daily, which is sometimes disposed of on land or diverged to sea. Most of the plastics created in the form of waste have complex degradation behavior and are non-biodegradable by nature. These remain intact in the environment for a long time span and potentially originate complications within terrestrial and marine life ecosystems. The strategic management of plastic waste and recycling can preserve environmental species and associated costs. The key contribution in this work focuses on ongoing efforts to utilize plastic waste by introducing blockchain during plastic waste recycling. It is proposed that the efficiency of plastic recycling can be improved enormously by using the blockchain phenomenon. Automation for the segregation and collection of plastic waste can effectively establish a globally recognizable tool using blockchain-based applications. Collection and sorting of plastic recycling are feasible by keeping track of plastic with unique codes or digital badges throughout the supply chain. This approach can support a collaborative digital consortium for efficient plastic waste management, which can bring together multiple stakeholders, plastic manufacturers, government entities, retailers, suppliers, waste collectors, and recyclers.

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Deep learning redesign of PETase for practical PET degrading applications

10.1101/2021.10.10.463845 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hongyuan Lu ◽

Daniel J. Diaz ◽

Natalie J. Czarnecki ◽

Congzhi Zhu ◽

Wantae Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Learning ◽

Learning Algorithm ◽

Hydrolytic Activity ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Plastic Recycling ◽

Ph Tolerance ◽

Highly Active ◽

Deep Learning Algorithm ◽

Plastic Waste Recycling

AbstractPlastic waste poses an ecological challenge1. While current plastic waste management largely relies on unsustainable, energy-intensive, or even hazardous physicochemical and mechanical processes, enzymatic degradation offers a green and sustainable route for plastic waste recycling2. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has been extensively used in packaging and for the manufacture of fabrics and single-used containers, accounting for 12% of global solid waste3. The practical application of PET hydrolases has been hampered by their lack of robustness and the requirement for high processing temperatures. Here, we use a structure-based, deep learning algorithm to engineer an extremely robust and highly active PET hydrolase. Our best resulting mutant (FAST-PETase: Functional, Active, Stable, and Tolerant PETase) exhibits superior PET-hydrolytic activity relative to both wild-type and engineered alternatives, (including a leaf-branch compost cutinase and its mutant4) and possesses enhanced thermostability and pH tolerance. We demonstrate that whole, untreated, post-consumer PET from 51 different plastic products can all be completely degraded by FAST-PETase within one week, and in as little as 24 hours at 50 °C. Finally, we demonstrate two paths for closed-loop PET recycling and valorization. First, we re-synthesize virgin PET from the monomers recovered after enzymatic depolymerization. Second, we enable in situ microbially-enabled valorization using a Pseudomonas strain together with FAST-PETase to degrade PET and utilize the evolved monomers as a carbon source for growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate production. Collectively, our results demonstrate the substantial improvements enabled by deep learning and a viable route for enzymatic plastic recycling at the industrial scale.

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Towards Higher Quality of Recycled Plastics: Limitations from the Material’s Perspective

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132313266 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 13266

Author(s):

Ayah Alassali ◽

Caterina Picuno ◽

Zhi Kai Chong ◽

Jinyang Guo ◽

Roman Maletz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Research Priorities ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Scientific Database ◽

Plastic Recycling ◽

Environmental Actions ◽

Recycled Plastics ◽

Plastic Waste Recycling ◽

Environmental Burdens

The increasing consumption of plastics and plastic products results in correspondingly substantial volumes of waste, which poses considerable environmental burdens. With the ongoing environmental actions, the application of circular economy on this waste stream is becoming inevitable. In this paper, the topics of plastics recycling, circular economy on plastics, and challenges to plastic waste recycling are critically reviewed. In the first part of this paper, the development of research on plastic recycling was viewed from 1950 until 2020 using the scientific database Web of Science, and 682 related studies were found and used to assess the changing research priorities along that timeline. The following sections discuss the potentials and requirements to enhance the quality of the produced recycled plastic, in connection with the factors that currently limit it. In conclusion, the quality of recycled plastic is generally determined by the homogeneity of the recovered plastic feed. There are various strategies which could be implemented to overcome the hindrances identified in the paper and to improve the quality of the recycled plastic, such as working on enhanced product designs for minimised waste heterogeneity and controlling the materials’ degree of contamination by applying advanced sorting.

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Life Cycle Assessment and Energy Efficiency from Industry of Plastic Waste Recycling

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202020206015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 202 ◽

pp. 06015

Author(s):

Vita Rosmiati ◽

Hadiyanto

Keyword(s):

Raw Materials ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Recycling Industry ◽

Plastic Recycling ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Plastic Waste Recycling ◽

Plastic Pellets

The high use of plastic products is currently causing uncontrolled accumulation of plastic waste so that an effort is needed to minimize the negative impacts caused to the environment. One of the appropriate efforts in processing plastic waste is recycling to produce a variety of useful products. Each stage of the process in managing plastic waste recycling starts from collecting raw materials to producing a new product for consumers requiring energy that can be calculated and analyzed for their impact on the environment using the LCA method. From this study can be concluded that the plastic recycling industry as one of the efforts in reducing the generation of plastic waste to the environment consists of 3 (three) main stages, namely the stages of enumeration, the distribution of raw materials and the stages of production of plastic pellets. The environmental burden analyzed includes the production process of recycling plastic waste to produce an output in the form of 1 ton of plastic where the total GHG emissions generated are 2.36E + 03 kg CO2 eq, with details of the potential contribution to global warming of 1.30E + 02 kg CO2 eq at the stage enumeration, 3.52E + 01 kg CO2 eq at the distribution stage and 2.15E + 00 kg CO2 eq at the plastic pellets production stage. The efficiency of plastic seed products in this study showed a good result, where the NEV and NER values of the recycled plastic pellets products were 39664.1 MJ and 2.11 MJ.

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Postcollection Separation of Plastic Recycling and Design-For-Recycling as Solutions to Low Cost-Effectiveness and Plastic Debris

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12208415 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 8415

Author(s):

Raymond Gradus

Keyword(s):

Cost Effectiveness ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Low Cost ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Plastic Debris ◽

Plastic Recycling ◽

The North ◽

Plastic Waste Recycling ◽

The Cost

In the Netherlands, plastic waste recycling is high on the policy agenda. Much effort is made to recycle, mostly by residents, who separate plastic waste at home. However, much of the separated waste is not recycled into new products. Substantial amounts are burned or even shipped to Asia. This leads to substantial plastic debris, as recent evidence has shown. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness of plastic recycling versus incineration is very low. Based on evidence from the north of the Netherlands, postcollection or mechanical separation can be a viable alternative as more useful plastics are separated and there are indications that different plastic streams are of higher polymeric purity. Furthermore, there is some circumstantial evidence that cost-effectiveness increases if postseparation is chosen. To avoid large streams of mixed plastics that are barely recyclable, it is important that further agreements with the packaging industry are made to phase out these mixed plastics and further increase the polymeric purity of different plastic waste streams.

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PLASTIC WASTE AND ITS REMOVAL BY LICENSED HORTICULTURAL FIRMS IN GEORGIA, USA

Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.5793 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol XXII (4) ◽

pp. 53-61

Author(s):

Wojciech J. Florkowski

Keyword(s):

Firm Behavior ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Survey Response ◽

Department Of Agriculture ◽

Plastic Recycling ◽

Recycled Plastics ◽

Plastic Waste Recycling ◽

Recycle Plastic

The purpose of the study was the investigation of horticultural firm behavior regarding plastic waste recycling and the constraints and incentives to increase the volume of recycled plastics. Licensed horticultural firms in Georgia recycle plastic waste such as plastic pots, trays, and multipacks to varying degrees. The survey involved horticultural firms licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture to conduct business in Georgia. A total of 2,194 firms were contacted and 299 completed the questionnaire. The scope of the survey was larger than a survey conducted in 2013. The survey response summary revealed that the majority of firms recycled at least one half of the used plastic pots. Results show that constraints to recycling include the sorting, storage, and cleaning of plastic waste. The share of respondents agreeing that those factors limit plastic recycling was 59%, 56%, and 69%, respectively. Lower waste pickup fees in exchange for plastic recycling would increase the volume of recycled plastic waste in the horticultural sector.

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BENCHMARK ANALYSIS FOR PLASTIC RECYCLATES IN AUSTRIAN WASTE MANAGEMENT

Detritus ◽

10.31025/2611-4135/2019.13869 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 105-112

Author(s):

Karl Friedrich ◽

Selina Möllnitz ◽

Stephan Holzschuster ◽

Roland Pomberger ◽

Daniel Vollprecht ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Assurance ◽

Value Chain ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Raw Material ◽

Plastic Recycling ◽

Plastic Waste Recycling

Plastic recyclates are granulates which are produced by the processing of plastic wastes. The circular economy package of the EU, especially the amendment of the Waste Framework Directive, sets a new goal for the use of different types of these recyclates. Corresponding primary raw materials can assure reliable qualities with respect to stable physical and chemical properties. Besides, the production of recyclates is often even more expensive than the production of primary raw material granulates. Several quality assurance measures are carried out along the value chain from plastic waste to final plastic products. Recyclates are evidently priced based on the price of primary raw material granulate. Pricing also correlates with different quality parameters, however, such as degree of mixing, degree of degradation and presence of impurities. This paper examines the correlation between different quality features and how they affect the pricing policy for recyclates. Experts and Stakeholders along the value chain of plastic recycling in Austria and Germany have been interviewed about the most important quality assurance parameters and how they (would) affect prices of recyclates. Therefore, quality parameters for the sorted plastic waste as an input for plastic waste recycling companies and manufactured recyclates are included in this paper. Experts from the plastic waste recycling industry confirmed that there is a profound correlation between price and quality that is presented and discussed in the paper: The higher the quality of the recyclates, the lower the level of impurities and the purer the recyclates, the higher the price.

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