Scaling up resource recovery of plastics in the emergent circular economy to prevent plastic pollution: Assessment of risks to health and safety in the Global South.
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| Title: | Scaling up resource recovery of plastics in the emergent circular economy to prevent plastic pollution: Assessment of risks to health and safety in the Global South. |
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| Authors: | Cook, Ed1 (AUTHOR), Velis, Costas A1 (AUTHOR) c.velis@leeds.ac.uk, Cottom, Joshua W1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy. Dec2022, Vol. 40 Issue 12, p1680-1707. 28p. |
| Subjects: | Health risk assessment, Circular economy, Waste recycling, Pollution risk assessment, Packaging recycling, Packaging waste, Plastic scrap recycling |
| Abstract: | Over the coming decades, a large additional mass of plastic waste will become available for recycling, as efforts increase to reduce plastic pollution and facilitate a circular economy. New infrastructure will need to be developed, yet the processes and systems chosen should not result in adverse effects on human health and the environment. Here, we present a rapid review and critical semi-quantitative assessment of the potential risks posed by eight approaches to recovering value during the resource recovery phase from post-consumer plastic packaging waste collected and separated with the purported intention of recycling. The focus is on the Global South, where there are more chances that high risk processes could be run below standards of safe operation. Results indicate that under non-idealised operational conditions, mechanical reprocessing is the least impactful on the environment and therefore most appropriate for implementation in developing countries. Processes known as 'chemical recycling' are hard to assess due to lack of real-world process data. Given their lack of maturity and potential for risk to human health and the environment (handling of potentially hazardous substances under pressure and heat), it is unlikely they will make a useful addition to the circular economy in the Global South in the near future. Inevitably, increasing circular economy activity will require expansion towards targeting flexible, multi-material and multilayer products, for which mechanical recycling has well-established limitations. Our comparative risk overview indicates major barriers to changing resource recovery mode from the already dominant mechanical recycling mode towards other nascent or energetic recovery approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 159841335 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Scaling up resource recovery of plastics in the emergent circular economy to prevent plastic pollution: Assessment of risks to health and safety in the Global South. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cook%2C+Ed%22">Cook, Ed</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Velis%2C+Costas+A%22">Velis, Costas A</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> c.velis@leeds.ac.uk</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cottom%2C+Joshua+W%22">Cottom, Joshua W</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Waste+Management+%26+Research%3A+The+Journal+for+a+Sustainable+Circular+Economy%22">Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy</searchLink>. Dec2022, Vol. 40 Issue 12, p1680-1707. 28p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+risk+assessment%22">Health risk assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Circular+economy%22">Circular economy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Waste+recycling%22">Waste recycling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pollution+risk+assessment%22">Pollution risk assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Packaging+recycling%22">Packaging recycling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Packaging+waste%22">Packaging waste</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plastic+scrap+recycling%22">Plastic scrap recycling</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Over the coming decades, a large additional mass of plastic waste will become available for recycling, as efforts increase to reduce plastic pollution and facilitate a circular economy. New infrastructure will need to be developed, yet the processes and systems chosen should not result in adverse effects on human health and the environment. Here, we present a rapid review and critical semi-quantitative assessment of the potential risks posed by eight approaches to recovering value during the resource recovery phase from post-consumer plastic packaging waste collected and separated with the purported intention of recycling. The focus is on the Global South, where there are more chances that high risk processes could be run below standards of safe operation. Results indicate that under non-idealised operational conditions, mechanical reprocessing is the least impactful on the environment and therefore most appropriate for implementation in developing countries. Processes known as 'chemical recycling' are hard to assess due to lack of real-world process data. Given their lack of maturity and potential for risk to human health and the environment (handling of potentially hazardous substances under pressure and heat), it is unlikely they will make a useful addition to the circular economy in the Global South in the near future. Inevitably, increasing circular economy activity will require expansion towards targeting flexible, multi-material and multilayer products, for which mechanical recycling has well-established limitations. Our comparative risk overview indicates major barriers to changing resource recovery mode from the already dominant mechanical recycling mode towards other nascent or energetic recovery approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=159841335 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1177/0734242X221105415 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 28 StartPage: 1680 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Health risk assessment Type: general – SubjectFull: Circular economy Type: general – SubjectFull: Waste recycling Type: general – SubjectFull: Pollution risk assessment Type: general – SubjectFull: Packaging recycling Type: general – SubjectFull: Packaging waste Type: general – SubjectFull: Plastic scrap recycling Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Scaling up resource recovery of plastics in the emergent circular economy to prevent plastic pollution: Assessment of risks to health and safety in the Global South. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cook, Ed – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Velis, Costas A – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cottom, Joshua W IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 12 Text: Dec2022 Type: published Y: 2022 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0734242X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 40 – Type: issue Value: 12 Titles: – TitleFull: Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy Type: main |
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