Plastic is now used everywhere and by everyone. People use it limitlessly without even thinking about how harmful it is to the ecosystem. Plastic, a non-degradable polymer was once the greatest invention that could replace the materials that came from nature. Plastic is the only material that does not come from nature and is used as a substitute for the ones coming from nature. Thus, plastic helped protect the environment by preventing the excessive use of the materials of nature and the invention of plastic was said to be boon to human mankind.
However, with the endless use of plastic, the reputation of plastic started to fall. As it cannot be degraded by the earth, it remains on the surface of the earth for several years, thus leading to the problem of “plastic pollution.” Pollution caused by plastic to various elements like land, soil, water, and ecosystem is called as plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution has caused unrecoverable damage to all of these elements. In water, it stays undissolved, reducing the purity of water, thus hampering the survival of various living organisms in the water body. When present in the soil, it makes the soil infertile and pollutes the land in the long run. Thus, plastic has led to a situation where even the health of the people was getting affected. And this is because of the overuse of plastic.
What is plastic recycling?
A process of recovering the waste material and reprocessing it into a usable form is called as plastic recycling. Plastic recycling came as the biggest solution for the above said problems. And the focus of most of the people shifted towards developing the methods of recycling the plastic. Thus, with the concept of recycling and reuse, the plastic industry rose again.
Importance of plastic recycling:
By now, it can be clearly understood why plastic recycling is important. Here are the few top reasons which say why plastic recycling is important.
- On the earth, plastic accounts for large amounts of solid waste which is non-degradable. The amount of plastic disposal is so high that it led to reducing landfill spaces.
- Another reason is plastic pollution. To avoid the problems arising from the usage of plastic, the treatment process has to be done.
- Recycled plastics can be used for other useful materials i.e. reuse of plastic can be done.
- Plastic recycling is responsible for the conservation of energy and the environment. By recycling plastic, 80% of the energy that is put into for the synthesis of new products will be conserved. Thus, both energy and the environment are conserved.
Methods of plastic recycling:
The recycling of plastic can be done using 3 methods namely,
- Primary recycling.
- Secondary recycling of mechanical recycling.
- Feedstock or chemical recycling.
- Energy recovery or quaternary recycling.
Best way to recycle plastic:
The feedstock or chemical recycling is identified as the Best way to recycle plastic.It is a process where the polymers present are converted into smaller units called monomers by and this process is achieved by treating the plastic with suitable chemicals and subjecting them to different chemical processes.
The various chemical processes that are used in plastic recycling are as follows:
- Hydrogenation.
- Glycolysis.
- Gasification.
- Thermal cracking.
- Pyrolysis.
- Methanolysis.
- Chemical depolymerization.
- Catalytic cracking or reforming.
- Photo-degradation.
- Ultrasound degradation.
- Microwave reactor degradation.
Among the chemical recycling methods, the best method is pyrolysis methods. Pyrolysis was seen as the most promising technique and thus, this method is widely used by most of the industries to recycle different types of plastic materials.
Catalytic Pyrolysis – best way to recycle plastic:
Pyrolysis refers to the degradation of waste materials at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The catalysts are of great importance in the process of catalysis that improves the efficacy and efficiency of the working of the chemical reaction. The pyrolysis process is otherwise called thermal cracking,thermolysis, cracking, and depolymerization.
Generally, the molecules exist in vibrating mode at a particular temperatureand this stage is known as molecular vibration.The rate of recurrence of molecular vibrations existing in the molecule is directly proportional to the rise in temperature. As the temperature is increased, the vibrations increase.
This is the simple concept behind the working of the pyrolysis process. As the temperature is increased to a higher temperature, the vibrations increase in the polymer molecules. Because of the vigorous vibrations taking place in the molecule, it undergoes stretching and expansion. As the temperature is further increased the polymer molecules breakdown resulting in smaller monomer units. This is the process involved in pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the most promising technique at the level of industrial operations.
Most of the companies like plastic recycling companies use this pyrolysis process as the major process in the recycling process. The only difficulty associated with this technique is the maintenance of high temperatures. But, this problem can be eradicated with the use of proper catalysts and other suitable precautionary measures.
Plastic recycling at home:
Plastic recycling can also be performed at home for a small amount of plastic by using some plastic recycling machines. A Dutch organization has invented small and simple machines that are capable of recycling plastic so that you do it all yourself. These machines also allow for plastics to be used in 3-dimensional printing i.e. 3D printing. They can be utilized forvarious other manufacturing processes. Thus, several home-based recycling processes are being developed and are into use.
Benefits of plastic recycling:
Plastic recycling can bring in a lot of benefits to mankind and the environment as well.
- Reduces the utilization of energy.
- Reduces water pollution.
- Reduces greenhouse emissions.
- Promotes sustainable use of resources.
- Reduces Air pollution.
- Saves landfill spaces.
- Protects the aquatic organisms.
It is good that scientists are working on new methods and ways are being developed to recycle plastic. Though there are many challenges in the way of plastic recycling like costs and efficiency, it is of utmost importance to recycle plastic so as to make the earth a better place to live.
