Discussions about sustainability are becoming more active.
And among the main pet themes, circularity is prominently featured.
What is circularity?
This is an abbreviation for circular economy.
It can be summed up in the three Rs.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Since then, many more R’s have been incorporated into the philosophy, but these three form the solid backbone of this ideology.
The circular economy aims to:
Reduce waste generation…
Discover different ways to reuse waste…
or
Using waste as raw material in the manufacture of other products – also called recycling
recycling
Of these three, recycling seems to be the most popular.
That’s because we are fascinated by the process of creating value from waste.
Imagine producing biogas from food waste…
Imagine an essential oil made from orange peel…
Recycled products create businesses and are environmentally friendly.
That’s wonderful.
plastic
Imagine a business developed from plastic recycling.
Some people have created amazing products.
However, a significant number of plastics cannot be recycled, and this is where another form of recycling, chemical recycling, checks in.
chemical recycling
Cutting plastic into small pieces and using them to recycle other plastics is called mechanical recycling.
In other words, the chemical structure is not interfered with.
Only the physical structure of the plastic changes from one product to another.
However, chemical recycling is a completely different sport.
Here, plastic is broken down into its molecular form, usually by the power of heat, chemicals, or enzymes.
Some microorganisms are known to use enzymes to digest plastic, but this is still a subject of research.
A significant number of chemical recycling plants have reverted to the other two forms of recycling.
merit
Cost-benefit analysis requires looking at both sides of the coin.
In this case, what are the advantages of chemical recycling, especially when using chemicals and heat?
First, plastics that are difficult to recycle are broken down into their components. These components are called „monomers.“
Plastics are made up of monomers joined together in the same way that pieces of metal are joined together to form chains.
These monomers can be reused to make new plastics.
Second, once plastics are broken down into monomers, the same plastics are less likely to be converted into microplastics.
Microplastics are plastic debris micrometers in diameter that result from the destruction of larger plastics.
These debris can easily travel through the air and water and can even enter the food chain.
They are suspected of causing environmental damage and potentially posing health risks.
Chemical recycling removes the structure of plastics, making them less likely to be converted into microplastics.
cost
First, chemical recycling uses heat and chemicals, which generate other contaminants.
Picture pyrolysis (the use of heat to break down plastics), one of the most common methods of chemical recycling.
When plastic is exposed to heat, it breaks down into monomers, as we talked about earlier.
However, monomers are not the only thing produced in this process.
Dangerous pollutants such as polycyclic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and particulate matter can also be produced.
These airborne risks are associated with a variety of health complications, including heart disease and cancer.
However, these risks are not limited to the extent of thermal decomposition.
Using chemicals to break down plastics introduces new hazardous substances into the environment.
For example, consider using acetone to break down Styrofoam.
It is very difficult to recycle Styrofoam on its own, much less mix it with other chemicals. It’s acetone.
Second, chemical recycling has larger hidden costs in the name of energy.
Imagine a recycling plant that uses pyrolysis.
Because heat is required, heat must be provided from a fuel source, which is likely to be fossil in nature.
Influence?
Emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants and high utility bills at the end of the month are what we’ve been avoiding all along.
Finally, chemical recycling creates indirect incentives for the production of hard-to-recycle plastics.
Ask yourself which plastics are difficult to recycle.
PET – used to make soda and water bottles
PVC – used in electrical appliances
Polystyrene – used to make disposable cups and plates
Polyethylene – used in the production of plastic paper…
And the list goes on.
Now, not all of these products are disposable.
For example, electrical equipment will remain in place for some time.
But what about plastic bottles, plastic paper bags, and disposable cups/plates?
They simply end up in the garbage dump, becoming an eyesore and eventually breaking down into microplastics.
But what happens when chemical recyclers raid these plastics?
They plan to not only remove them from waste disposal sites but also use them as raw materials for more products.
In other words, plastic manufacturers will feel the need to continue producing non-recyclable plastics that ultimately become raw materials for dirty, energy-intensive processes.
Instead, these plastic manufacturers should stop producing non-recyclable plastics in the first place.
The conclusion is
Chemical recycling helps remanufacture plastic products from plastic waste.
However, they are inefficient in energy use and at the same time release major pollutants into the environment.
Chemical recycling operations must weigh costs and benefits to determine the overall impact on circularity, the environment, and human health.
Therefore, the conversation must continue.
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