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Circularity of Plastics: Sustainability, Emerging Materials, and Valorization of Waste Plastic takes an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to circularity and sustainability in plastics, with an emphasis on plastic waste and end-of-life treatment and options for recycling, re-use, valorization and development of biomass-based polymers. The book introduces key concepts of sustainable materials, the circular economy, and lifecycle assessment, and discusses challenges in the valorization of waste. Other sections cover the upcycling of waste plastic into new materials and fuels, with dedicated chapters exploring state-of-the-art techniques for conversion to new sustainable polymers, fuel, fine chemicals and carbon nanomaterials. Emerging technologies used to produce functional polymers from renewable feedstocks, including CO2, biomass, natural polymers, polylactic acid (PLA), and polyhydroxyalkanoate-based materials (PHAs) are then explored, with a final chapter focusing on applications of sustainable materials, challenges, and future perspectives. This is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists, engineers, R&D professionals, and advanced students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, with an interest in sustainable materials, circularity in plastics, and polymer waste and valorization. - Explains the fundamental concepts of sustainable materials, circular economy, lifecycle assessment, and valorization of plastic waste - Presents cutting-edge methods for the conversion or upcycling of waste to sustainable polymers, fuel and fine chemicals, and carbon nanomaterials - Provides detailed coverage of the development of functional polymers from a range of sustainable and renewable resources

Plastics manufacturing and production grew exponentially during and after World War II. The OECD estimates that global production of plastic increased from two million tons of plastic per year in 1950 to more than 400 million tons per year today. This book examines plastics recycling challenges in the United States and discuss new and emerging technologies to reduce the lifecycle environmental impact of plastic.

Enables Readers to Understand the What, Why, and How Behind Using Sustainable Plastics in Manufacturing Operations The impact of 50 years of unbridled plastics production, use, and disposal is now becoming well known and documented. Plastics made from non-renewable petroleum and natural gas resources threaten the environment, human health, species maintenance, and the very life of the ocean. This book helps readers understand the ability of plastics to be sustainable and goes over the plastic products which have a lower carbon footprint, lower waste, and lower pollution. The well-qualified author's unique perspective puts a special focus on comprehensive coverage of environmental impacts of plastics including Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and sustainability strategies related to biobased plastics (e.g., corn), recycled plastics, and petroleum-based plastics. Other samples topics covered in the book include: End-of-life options for petroleum and biobased plastics including mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and composting ASTM biodegradation standards for compost, marine, anaerobic digestion, and landfill environments Polymer processing, including injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, and compression molding Environmental data and coverage of petroleum plastics, sustainable composites, and new information on bio-based plasticsThe book serves as an invaluable resource for plastics engineers, materials engineers, and all professionals in related disciplines looking to understand and apply the usage of sustainable plastics in many different types of manufacturing operations.

We cannot imagine a world without plastics. Plastic products make our daily life safe, healthy and convenient. Besides all the benefits, the current plastics economy gives rise to environmental concerns with respect to fossil oil depletion and plastic waste accumulation. In a circular economy, however, plastics can be redesigned for reusability and recyclability. This book makes the topic of sustainable plastics approachable for students and career starters alike, describing the nature and chemistry of (bio)polymers as well as how to create a closed loop of plastic materials.

'Advancing Technologies to Deliver a Circular Economy for Polymers. Over the last 70 years, plastic usage has spread into nearly every corner of modern life and all geographies. For much of this time, plastics have been disposed of at the end of their first life. While recycling and reuse have increased, these have been limited by the need for clean, single-material streams as feedstock for mechanical recycling and the development status of advanced recycling technologies. By enabling the use of more mixed-waste streams, technologies will not only cut down on plastic waste landfilling, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This work presents developing plastic recycling technologies, from feedstocks to final products, and various waste valorization vectors that will enable the eventual transition to a fully circular economy of polymers.'--

This book shows the true and often-underestimated market potential of plastics recycling, with analysis from economic, ecological, and technical perspectives. It is aimed at both technical and non-technical readers, including decision makers in material suppliers, plastic product manufacturers, governmental agencies, educators, and anyone with a general interest in plastics recycling.An overview of waste handling systems with a focus on the U.S. market is provided. Different methods of waste handling are compared from both economic and ecological perspectives. Since plastic waste recycling is essential from an ecological point of view, common strategies and new approaches to both increase the recycling rate and improve recycling economically and technically are presented. This includes processing and material properties of recycled plastics. Finally, a worldwide outlook of plastic recycling is provided with analysis of additional worldwide markets, encompassing highly developed, fast-developing, and less developed countries.This revised and expanded second edition also contains a new section on fiber-reinforced plastics andconsiderations for recycling them as well as numerous updates on the data and the context analyzedthroughout the book. The spreadsheets used in the economic analyses are also offered as a bonus forthe reader to download from plus.hanser-fachbuch.de/en.True to the authors'mission, this book is printed on recycled paper.

Dieses Fachbuch zeigt das wahre und oftmals unterschätzte Marktpotential von Kunststoffrecycling indem es wirtschaftliche, ökologische und technische Aspekte des Themas beleuchtet. Es richtet sich sowohl an technische als auch an nicht-technische Leser, einschließlich Entscheidungsträger von Materiallieferanten, Hersteller von Kunststoffprodukten, Regierungsbehörden, Lehrende und alle, die ein allgemeines Interesse am Kunststoffrecycling haben.Zunächst wird ein Überblick der Abfallverwertungssysteme gegeben. Dabei werden verschiedene Methoden der Verwertung von einer ökologischen und wirtschaftlichen Perspektive betrachtet. Da das Recycling von Kunststoffabfällen aus ökologischer Sicht unabdingbar ist, werden gängige Strategien und neue Ansätze vorgestellt, um sowohl die Recyclingquote zu erhöhen als auch das Recycling wirtschaftlich und technisch zu verbessern. Dies beinhaltet die Analyse verschiedener Verarbeitungsverfahren und der jeweils resultierenden Materialeigenschaften von recycelten Kunststoffen.Schließlich wird ein weltweiter Ausblick des Kunststoffrecyclings gegeben, welcher Industrie-, Transformations-, Schwellen- und Entwicklungsländer differenziert betrachtet. Zudem wird gezeigt, welches Potential die zunehmende Digitalisierung der Gesellschaft und speziell der Produktion auf die Verbesserung des Kunststoffrecyclings haben kann.

This book investigates processes to reduce environmental pollution and polyurethane (PU) waste going to landfill. The author explains recycling approaches as well as instrumental methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy for characterization and identification of PU recycling products.

The scourge of plastic has poisoned our environment and damaged our health. In this timely book, Albert Bates takes a critical look at the magnitude of this ubiquitous problem, and explains that what is needed is mandatory economic and industrial changes so that recycled, bio-sourced, and biodegradable plastic become more cost-effective than plastic made from fossil fuels. He also explores current worldwide efforts for stronger regulations and better waste management, along with exciting new biological and man-made technologies for improved plastics disposal and viable alternatives. Packed with anecdotes and tips for living with less plastic, it is clearly defined that if we take real action now there is the potential of hope.

Recycling of Polyurethane Foams introduces the main degradation/depolymerization processes and pathways of polyurethane foam materials, focusing on industrial case studies and academic reviews from recent research and development projects. The book can aid practitioners in understanding the basis of polymer degradation and its relationship with industrial processes, which can be of substantial value to industrial complexes the world over. The main pathways of polymer recycling via different routes and industrial schemes are detailed, covering all current techniques, including regrinding, rebinding, adhesive pressing and compression moulding of recovered PU materials that are then compared with depolymerization approaches. The book examines life cycle assessment and cost analysis associated with polyurethane foams waste management, showing the potential of various techniques. This book will help academics and researchers identify and improve on current depolymerization processes, and it will help industry sustainability professionals choose the appropriate approach for their own waste management systems, thus minimizing the costs and environmental impact of their PU-based end products. - Offers a comprehensive review of all polyurethane foam recycling processes, including both chemical and mechanical approaches - Assesses the potential of each recycling process - Helps industry-based practitioners decide which approach to take to minimize the cost and environmental impact of their end product - Enables academics and researchers to identify and improve upon current processes of degradation and depolymerization

This book shows the true and often-underestimated market potential of plastics recycling, with analysis from economic, ecological, and technical perspectives. It is aimed at both technical and non-technical readers, including decision makers in material suppliers, plastic product manufacturers, governmental agencies, educators, and anyone with a general interest in plastics recycling.An overview of waste handling systems with a focus on the U.S. market is provided. Different methods of waste handling are compared from both economic and ecological perspectives.Since plastic waste recycling is essential from an ecological point of view, common strategies and new approaches to both increase the recycling rate and improve recycling economically and technically are presented. This includes processing and material properties of recycled plastics.Finally, a worldwide outlook of plastic recycling is provided with analysis of additional worldwide markets, encompassing highly developed, fast-developing, and less developed countries.Bonus: all the data and calculations presented in the book are provided as downloadable spreadsheets for the reader's own analysis and updates.

La lecture de ce livre nous fait prendre conscience des dégâts provoqués par les déchets plastiques en mer notamment sur la faune aquatique. Il amène ainsi à de nouveaux comportements à propos de l'achat ou de l'utilisation de produits en plastique. Ce livre salutaire écrit pas un enseignant, doit être transmis aux générations futures pour renouveler les consciences et sauver notre planète.

Landslides and slope failure are common in the US and rest of the world. The landslides cause significant damage to infrastructure and millions of dollars are required each year to fix the slope. A sustainable and costeffective option to stabilise the slope can have significant benefits, as it will reduce the cost of maintenance and when using recycled pins, it may help the environment at the same time. The recycled plastic pin is made from recycled plastic bottles and other plastic waste. Several demonstration projects already proved the effectiveness of RPP as an alternative option to fix slope failure, with a maximum failure depth of 7-8 ft. In this book, every detail of the slope stabilisation technique using recycled plastic pins, including the design techniques and several case studies, are included. This will help to explain the basics of this important technique and will be used as reference to design the slope stabilisation scheme using recycled plastic pins.

The environmental and economic need to increase recycling rates is a principal driving force behind technological innovation in the 21st century. Post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) products are an important resource that the global community is focussing on to achieve vital improvements in sustainability and meet important life-cycle goals. This comprehensive review, with extensive up-to-date referencing, covers all aspects of PET recycling, from its world market to the many technologies and processes that have been developed to separate, decontaminant, recycle and manufacture the material into both food-grade and non-food-grade products. One objective of this book is to describe the range of sorting and separation techniques that can be used to isolate post-consumer PET from other plastics and contaminants in the recycling stream. Another is to review the recycling techniques that enable it to be reprocessed into high quality products. The wide range of food contact products and other materials and articles that can be manufactured from recycled PET are also described. The regulations, testing methods and analytical procedures that are essential to ensuring that PET recycling can take its place in today's quality conscious world are covered. Also included is using post-consumer PET to generate energy, and monomer-type intermediates capable of being manufacturing into new materials, such as thermosets. This book is essential reading for anyone in industry or academia requiring up-to-date information on technical developments in the recycling of PET, the market and regulatory framework within which the industry operates, and knowledge of the many options that exist for the re-use of this valuable commodity.

Recycling of polyurethane (PU) wastes is undertaken to minimise waste and reduce environmental pollution. In this book, these methods are investigated to find a suitable process for waste reduction, protection of the environment, and prevention of waste landfilling. This book reviews aspects from contemporary literature (including our research) focusing on these topics. Recently, progress has been done by the author's research team in chemical recycling of PU waste. Recycling methods are stated clearly, as well as use of instrumental methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy for characterisation and identification of recycling products. This book provides new and exciting vistas for finding adequate recycling methods as well as the starting materials and intermediates for PU products.

This report is a background report for the'Guideline for plastic sorting at recycling centres'. The background report describes the methodology used in preparing the guideline, including information from existing systems and the stakeholders that can be used by the recycling centres in their decision process. The report describes the importance of communicating with purchasers about the expected purity and traceability of the plastic further down the value chain. The report is part of the Nordic Prime Ministers'initiative: “The Nordic Region – leading in green growth” – read also more in the web magazine “Green Growth the Nordic Way” at www.nordicway.org

Future solutions for Nordic plastic recycling contains suggestions on how to collect and recycle more of the generated plastic waste from households and other MSW sources in the Nordic region. The solutions suggested are focused on providing higher availability to collection systems, to focus less on packaging and more on plastic, to have flexible sorting and recycling systems, and to pave the way for a well-functioning, transparent market for recycled plastics that absorbs the collected material. More extensive Nordic cooperation, both on a basis of knowledge exchange and on a practical level, is believed to favour Nordic plastic collection and recycling. The report is part of the Nordic Prime Ministers'green growth initiative: “The Nordic Region – leading in green growth”. Read more in the web magazine “Green Growth the Nordic Way” at www.nordicway.org or at www.norden.org/greengrowth

Providing guidelines for implementing sustainable practices for traditional petroleum based plastics, biobased plastics, and recycled plastics, Sustainable Plastics and the Environment explains what sustainable plastics are, why sustainable plastics are needed, which sustainable plastics to use, and how manufacturing companies can integrate them into their manufacturing operations. A vital resource for practitioners, scientists, researchers, and students, the text includes impacts of plastics including Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and sustainability strategies related to biobased plastics and petroleum based plastics as well as end-of-life options for petroleum and biobased plastics.