Framework Proposition Strategy for Collection of Returned Products in Reverse Logistics Environment

The importance of reverse logistics and product recovery is evident in various industries as well as in current UNESCO sustainable development goals. This includes plastics and recycling with the former “contributed” significantly towards environmental issues and the latter being one of the primary solutions. The motivations of its implementation are generally divided into legal, economic, and socio-environmental factors. One of the crucial components of plastics recycling and a reverse logistics system is product return channels. The success of other components especially the recovery operations depends on the effectiveness of the return channels. Although numerous investigations on product return channels have been carried out, research on some critical aspects remains wanting. This study presents a review that highlights this deficiency, depicts relevant research development on product return channels, decision-making issues, and direction for future research. At the end of the study, the authors propose a new closed-loop logistics network and future research framework propositions.

Biodegradation of Plastic

The use of plastics is increasing gradually, and its degradation is becoming a great threat for society. This chapter raises a question in front of us: Ultimately, how can we balance our needs and safety? Therefore, a term biodegradation is frequently used to explain the ability of microorganism to degrade the organic substance. The chapter would deliver the importance of biodegradation of plastic products, which is a rapidly growing field and offers a new dimension solution with novel properties in waste management areas. Microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes have developed a special strategy in order to use such materials as energy and carbon source. Biodegradation is the most economic, eco-friendly, and acceptable method. But the detailed characterization of efficient plastic-degrading microbes and microbial enzymes still needs to be carried out. The chapter would also provide a better understanding related to the biodegradation of plastic products that enhances the horizon of knowledge.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates

Human dependence on number of chemicals or chemical derivatives has increased alarmingly. Among the commodity chemicals, plastics are becoming independent for our modern lifestyle, as the usage of plastics is increasing worryingly. However, these synthetic plastics are extremely persistent in nature and accumulate in the environment, thereby leading to serious ecological problems. So, to build our economy sustainably, a need of replacement is necessary. Biomaterials in terms of bioplastics are an anticipated option, being synthesized and catabolized by different organisms with myriad biotechnological applications. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are among such biodegradable bioplastics, which are considered as an effective alternative for conventional plastics due to their similar mechanical properties of plastics. A range of microbes under different nutrient and environmental conditions produce PHAs significantly with the help of enzymes. PHA synthases encoded by phaC genes are the key enzymes that polymerize PHA monomers. Four major classes of PHA synthases can be distinguished based on their primary structures, as well as the number of subunits and substrate specificity. PHAs can also be produced from renewable feedstock under, unlike the petrochemically derived plastics that are produced by fractional distillation of depleting fossil fuels. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the simplest yet best known polyester of PHAs, as the PHB derived bioplastics are heat tolerant, thus used to make heat tolerant and clear packaging film. They have several medical applications such as drug delivery, suture, scaffold and heart valves, tissue engineering, targeted drug delivery, and agricultural fields. Genetic modification (GM) may be necessary to achieve adequate yields. The selections of suitable bacterial strains, inexpensive carbon sources, efficient fermentation, and recovery processes are also some aspects important aspects taken into consideration for the commercialization of PHA. PHA producers have been reported to reside at various ecological niches with few among them also produce some byproducts like extracellular polymeric substances, rhamnolipids and biohydrogen gas. So, the metabolic engineering thereafter promises to bring a feasible solution for the production of “green plastic” in order to preserve petroleum reserves and diminish the escalating human and animal health concerns environmental implications.

Review Environmental Implications of Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste and Ash Disposal

Rapid consumption of resources produces municipal solid wastes (MSW) in developing countries at the present time. MSW comprises the various kinds of waste present at different levels such as household products, industrial waste, biomedical waste, pesticides, sanitation residue, agriculture residue, building material waste, and so forth. The presence of solid waste in the water system is very hazardous and can cause severe health diseases in the human body such as dermatological disorder, respiratory infections, eye and blood infections, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, amoebic dysentery, anthrax, and so forth. Due to incineration of waste materials, the remaining ash is dumped into the water system so the amount of free oxygen in the water is diminished, which results in the death of fishes, beneficial bacteria, and worms, which play an important role in the fertility of the soil. This chapter reviews the challenges, methods, technologies, barriers, and opportunities associated with improving waste management worldwide.

Environmental and Health Implications of Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is one of the prime and alarming issues in developing countries that has vast environmental and human health impacts which need to be addressed as a priority. Unfortunately, limited work has been done on the topic, especially on air and water pollution due to plastics in Pakistan. Informal solid waste management is being done by municipalities, which is not adequate, and the problem will increase with the upsurge in population and industrialization. There is a need to address the knowledge gap and improvements in the existing conditions to manage the issue of plastic pollution separately. In this chapter, causes; impacts of plastic pollution both on human and environmental health, plastic industries, and legislative context; and best practices to manage plastic pollution along with some important recommendations are discussed. It is expected the data presented may help the managers, environmental scientists, and policymakers to manage the problem of plastic pollution.

Challenges and Factors in Plastics Reutilization/Recycling

Plastics are used worldwide due to the low price, lightweight, and long-lasting availability. It can be molded into different products. Therefore, the invention of plastics has been increased significantly over the last 50-60 years. Several environmental problems are generating due to plastics used across the world. This kind of observation indicates that plastics are not sustainable. It is accumulating in landfills and natural locales due to the stability of the polymers involved. This chapter discusses the structure and uses of plastics. Plastics recycling is a very challenging duty in waste management. This chapter explores the factors affecting the plastic recycling in detail. This chapter also explores the plastic recycling methods and challenges during plastic recycling and deliberates more briefly how the government sector is working to clean most of the plastic waste from landfills to recycling over the next periods. In the last, this chapter highlights the plastic effects on the environment and how we can use again through recycling.

Solid Waste Management and Its Impact on the Environment

Solid waste consists of household waste, construction and demolition debris, sanitation residue, and waste from streets. This garbage is generated mainly from residential and commercial complexes. With rising urbanization and change in lifestyle and food habits, the amount of solid waste has been increasing rapidly and its composition changing. Solid waste throws back a light on the culture that produces it and affects the health of the people and the environment surrounding it. Globally, people are discarding growing quantities of waste, and its composition is more complex than ever before, as plastic and electronic consumer products diffuse. Solid wastes are hazards as they adversely affect the living as well as nonliving components of the environment. Advanced and new methods of disposal of solid waste such as pyrolysis, pulverization, incineration, and development of sanitary landfills, etc. are used to solve the problem of managing solid waste. Dumping and burning waste is not acceptable practice from environment and health perspective.

Environmental Phthalate Exposure in Relation to Reproductive Outcomes and Other Health Endpoints in Humans

Phthalates are the class of chemicals that exhibit numerous adverse effects to health. These non-persistent chemicals are produced in high volume annually and are used in a wide array of industrial consumer products. The overall exposure of phthalates to humans is via ingestion of contaminated food from wrapped materials or dermally via consumer care products. Pthalates are anti-androgenic compounds, so for this reason, they obtrude with the expression of testosterone by manipulating gene expression of proteins and enzymes involved in production of testosterone. The primarily exposure of Pthalates during fetal development stage results in number of harmful effects in male offspring in humans, like abnormalities of the sperm-producing organs, abnormal development of penile, hypospadias, reduced anogenital distance, as well as a risk for prostate cancer and cryptorchidism. The purpose of this chapter was to review the environmental impact of phthalate exposure in relation to reproductive behavior and other health problems in humans.

Alternatives for Treatment and Disposal Cost Reduction of Regulated Medical Waste

The link between human health and environmental quality is made clearer; the commitment to safeguarding the natural environment is growing in major institutions as the health care industry. New and greater opportunities will open up to reinforce our primary institutional mission-that of caring for the health needs of the community we serve, which include caring for the environment. Developing and implementing effective programs to reduce, recycle and minimize the toxicity of hospital generated wastes (even wastes generated in the care and treatment of patients can be reduced) is one of the most significant environmental challenges the health care industry faces. Hospitals generate one of the most diverse and difficult to manage waste. The amount of medical waste produced by hospitals may vary due to a number of factors, including the hospital type and size, occupancy rate, in- and outpatient ratio, geographic location, state and local waste handling regulations, and hospital waste disposal policies.

Analyses of the Recycling Potential of Medical Plastic Wastes

Medical wastes have been historically disposed of either in landfills or treated in poorly-designed or inadequately-controlled incinerators that leads to the release of a significant quantity of hazardous pollutants, such as dioxins and heavy metals including Cd, Hg and Pb in the environment. This has led to increased public concerns over the disposal of medical wastes. Plastic is one of the most important components of the medical waste. The plastic content (20–25% by weight) of medical waste is significantly higher than that of municipality solid waste. Therefore, recycling of plastics should be increased to save landfill space and also to reduce expensive disposal cost of medical wastes. The recycling issues like risk of transmitting infections, improper collection and separation, can be resolved by proper management, education and innovative waste collection and disposal policies. Analysis and use of alternative products should always be considered as an important part of any recycling program.