Importance of Plastic Recycling for the Environment

VI.BE.Civil Group (II)

Lecture – Daw Zin Mar Thet

Abstract-As society has steadily increased Toungoo for granting to submit this paper.
its use of plastics, plastic waste WE would also like to thank Dr. Yin Min
management has become a growing Han, Professor and Head of Department of
concern around the world. Thousands of Civil Engineering Technological
plastic factories are producing tons of University, Toungoo. We would not forget
plastic goods which are popularly used by to express our deepest gratitude and
people because of their ease, inertness, appreciation to our family teacher, Daw
cheapness and convenience. Due to non- Zin Mar Thet, Environmental Engineering
biodegradable nature they cause hazardous Lecture of Department of Civil
negative impact on environment, men and Engineering Technological University,
society. The main purpose of this paper is Toungoo.
to discuss possible solutions for increasing
1.Introduction
the recycling rate of the plastic products.
Plastics are relatively new materials In the modern society, with the

developed in the last century. As a result, increasing rates of ozone depletion, it is

many environmental issues have grown important to protect the environment we

such as the products finite sources, end of live in. With this, it is critical for the

life treatment, energy consumption and society to embrace all the possible means

emission of gases. The percentage of of environmental conservation. Among the

materials that are recycled is relatively various means of environmental

low. This paper covers the challenges preservation, recycling is among the

facing the plastic recycling. Here, through means of ensuring a safe hub for the

this study, we discuss about plastic, its generations to come. When recycling is

properties and effect on environment, discussed, it brings into focus the ideals of

especially recycling. reduce, reuse and recycling can impact a

positive environment since the
Acknowledgement-First and foremost, we
surroundings will be clean and devoid of
are greatly indebted to Dr. Mg Mg Latt,
waste materials that can pollute the
Rector of Technological University,
environment. Despite of the above facts, it

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is important to note that recycling has both
its advantages and disadvantages. Waste is
now a global problem, and one that must
be addressed in order to solve the world
resource and energy challenges.
Recycling is the process of
converting waste materials into new
materials and objects. It is an alternative to
“conventional” waste disposal that can
save material and help lower greenhouse
gas emissions. Recycling can prevent the
waste of potentially useful materials and
reduce the consumption of fresh raw
materials, thereby reducing: energy usage,
air pollution (from incineration), and water
pollution (from landfilling).Recycling is a
key component of modern waste reduction
and is the third component of the “Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle” waste hierarchy.
Thus, recycling aims at environmental
sustainability by substituting raw material
inputs into and redirecting waste outputs
out of the economic system.
This paper seeks to address the
importance of recycling to the
environment with emphasis on the
economic and social benefits of recycling.
2. Objectives
 To change waste materials into
new products to prevent waste of
potentially useful materials.
 To reduce the consumption of fresh
raw materials.
 To reduce energy usage, air
pollution and water pollution.
 To present the importance and role
of recycling in conserving
environment.
METHODOLOGY:
1. Importance of Recycling
Recycling is good for the
environment, in the sense, we are using old
and waste products which are of no use
and then converting them back to same
new products. Since we are saving
resources and are sending less trash to the
landfills, it helps in reducing air and water
pollution. Energy saving is important if we
are to reduce the future effects of global
warming. Recycling is very important as
waste has a huge negative impact on the
natural environment. Harmful chemicals
and greenhouse gasses are released from
rubbish in landfill sites. Recycling helps to
reduce the pollution caused by waste.
Recycling reduces the need for raw
materials so that the rainforests can be
preserved. Recycling is important in
today’s world if we want to leave this
planet for our future generations.
2.Benefits of Recycling
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  Reduces the amount of waste sent
to landfills and incinerators
 Conserves natural resources such
as timber, water and minerals
 Increases economic security by
tapping a domestic source of
materials
 Prevents pollution by reducing the
need to collect new raw materials
 Helps create jobs in the recycling
and manufacturing industries
 Mitigates the global warming
 Spreads environmental awareness
3. Types of Recycling
 Waste paper and cardboard
recycling
 Metal recycling
 Wee recycling ( electric devices)
 Wood recycling
 Glass recycling
 Clothing and textile recycling
 Bricks and inert waste recycling
 Plastic recycling
3.1. Waste paper and cardboard
recycling-Recycling paper is vital to
ensure you reduce your environmental
impact and reduce general waste. Industry
and commerce dispose of approximately
12.5 million tons of paper and cardboard
in the UK each year. Every tons of
recycled paper or cardboard can save up to
17 trees, two cubic yards of landfill
capacity and 4100 kw/hours of electricity.
3.2. Metal recycling-All grades of non-
ferrous and ferrous metal are recyclable
for future use. Before the metals are
recycled, metals get sorted in our materials
recycling facility where they are separated
into ferrous and non-ferrous types. Ferrous
metal includes iron and steel. Non-ferrous
includes aluminum, copper, stainless steel,
brass and lead to name but a few.
3.3. Wee recycling- Wee recycling is for
the waste of electrical and electronic
equipment recycling which is nearly
everything that is powered by a battery or
plug such as computers, mobile phones
and TVs. Recycling of electronic goods is
a specialist part of the waste and recycling
industry aiming to prevent electronic items
sent to landfill.
3.4. Wood recycling-Wood is the ultimate
renewable material because of its number
of different uses. Wood can be refused as a
building material, recycled into much for
landscaping and even low grade wood is
useful because it can be used for fuel to
generate environmentally friendly energy.
Wood grades include such items as timber
pallets, timber boxes, floorboards,
chipboard, fencing, plywood and furniture
etc.
3.5. Glass recycling-Glass can take
around one million years to fully
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decompose which is a big issue for landfill be crushed into bricks chips for use as a
sites getting too full. Glass is 100% landscape material. These waste streams
recyclable and never losses any purity or come to us on skip wagons from industrial
quality when it’s recycled. It is crucial to and demolition sites, it is tipped and then
ensure we recycle as much glass as crushed to produce various grades of
possible. Glass can be refused over and aggregates to be reused on construction
over again and the quality of the material sites.
is as good as if it was made new from the
3.8. Plastic recycling-Plastic is a material
raw materials. Glass should be as clean
in any of a wide range of synthetic or semi
and contaminant free as possible for
synthetic that are moldable. These are
recycling. Glass includes such items as
made from limited sources of a petroleum.
bottles, jars, windows, drinking glasses,
Huge advances are being made in the
computer screen, etc. Similar to other
development technologies to recycle
recycled materials, recycling glass also
plastic waste among other resources. It
saves significant amounts of energy.
gives to energy savings and the reduction
3.6. Clothing and textile recycling-With
of greenhouse gas emissions. It also saves
the rise of fast fashion in recent years, we
non-renewable sources like oil and gas. In
are buying more clothes than ever and
addition to that, recycling provides
therefore we have more waste textiles than
livelihood for millions of people and
ever. It is estimated there are more than 1
families in developing countries,
million tons of textiles are thrown away
employment or informal economic
every year in the UK. At least 50% of the
activities.
textiles we throw away are recycled. It is
not just the amount of textiles being sent to There are about 50 different groups

landfill that is the issue but increased use of plastics with hundreds of different

of raw materials used to produce the varieties. Most types of plastic are

clothes. recyclable because of this, they need to be

3.7. Bricks and inert waste recycling- recycled to reduce the amount of waste

Hardcore rubble can be recycled into sent to landfill and help prevent rubbish

usable materials for many uses in other from ending up in the oceans. Because

construction and building projects. Bricks most plastics are non-degradable, they take

can also be cleaned and reused in another a long time to break down, possibly up to

building or project. Alternatively, they can hundreds of year. Although no one knows

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for sure as plastics haven’t existed for long
enough, it’s believed that plastics can take
over 500 years to decompose.
4. Plastic Recycling Process
Before any plastic waste is
recycled, it needs to go through six
different stages so that it can be further
used for making various types of products.
Step1: Collecting
The first step required for recycling
is collecting recyclable materials from
communities. Today many major cities
and larger communities offer a curbside
pick-up service for recyclable materials.
Step2: Sorting
It is necessary that every plastic
item is separated according to its make and
type so that it can be processed
accordingly in the shredding machine.
Step3: Washing
Once the sorting has been done, the
plastic waste needs to be washed properly
to remove impurities such as labels and
adhesives. This enhances the quality of the
finished product.
Step4: Resizing
Resizing consists of shredding of
granulating the plastic waste into small
particle. It gives recycling facilities one
last opportunity to remove any none
plastic waste that has made it through the
first three steps of processing.
Step5: Identification and Classification
of Plastics
After resizing, a proper testing of
the plastic pellets is conducted in order to
ascertain their quality and class.
Step6: Compounding
The final step in the recycling
process is often considered the most
exciting because it is when the plastic
particles are made into recycle materials
usable for future production.
Compounding is when the small particles
are smashed and melted together into
plastic pellets. The pellets can then be used
in the production of other plastic products.
5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Substantial quantities of plastic
have accumulated in the natural
environment and landfills which affects
soil, air, water and land. The distribution
of plastic debris is highly variable as a
result of factors like wind in urban areas,
and ocean current cause adverse effects on
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nature. The human population plays a
major role in plastic pollution.
6. Conclusion and Recommendation
Recycling is a process that helps in
environmental conservation. On social
grounds, recycling helps in keeping the
environment clean while also ensuring that
the health of the people are safeguarded. It
also creates greener jobs and maintains
natural resources. These days, our earth
has been filled by a lot of waste. There is a
lot of garbage, plastic waste,
electronic waste. We always produce it
and dump it when we need the new one.
Our waste are piling up and continuously
accumulating. And our solution in this
problems is recycling. In my opinion,
recycling is a way to manage used items
into new products. We can reduce, reuse,
and recycling (3R) waste management.
We know that nowadays plastic is the
one materials that widely used by human
in all of the country. Most of our goods
become from plastic. The bad news is,
plastics wastes that come from our
unusable goods end up in the oceans.
There are 60% to 80% plastic wastes on
the sea are coming from the land and it
will cause a big problem to 267 sea species
in this world. That one example is more
than enough to start recycling our plastic
waste. We can start from reduce and reuse
first. For reduce example: when we buy
something, we should prepare our own bag
to put the goods we buy, dispose the waste
according to the bin that specially
provided for plastic, use a refill bottle for
our drink bottle, and prefer a paper bag
than plastic bag.
Recycling begins at home. If you
are not throwing away and of your old
product and instead utilizing it for
something new then you are actually
recycling. When you think of recycling
and
you should really think about the whole
idea; reduce, reuse and recycle. We’ve
been careless up to this point with the way
we’ve treated the Earth and it’s time to
change; not just the way we do things but
the way we think. Plastics also possess
both positive and negative faces, it is in the
way in which we use and treat them
decides its effects on us.
References
 Recycling and waste
management – Wilcox and
Charlotte.
 Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - Hill,
Tracy and Melinda Parker.
 Plastic waste management –
Dr.A.B.Harapanahalli, Mini; of
Environments & Forests.
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 International Journal of Reviews, Vol. 5, Issue 3 (2017)
Engineering Research and