Summary of the most advanced plastic waste treatment methods

Guide

Since the middle of the last century, plastics have been widely used. On the one hand, plastic is an important material element of modern life, and on the other hand it also brings serious "white pollution" problems. Scientists and scholars all over the world have tried to find a solution to plastic waste. Many methods have been proposed.

Plastic bag that can be eaten

In order to solve the crisis caused by white pollution, an Indian startup EnviGreen invented an environmentally friendly plastic bag made of 12 edible materials such as sweet potato, corn, potato and vegetable oil. This plastic bag can not only eat, but even You can also soak in the water as a tea to drink, throw it on the ground, it can be naturally decomposed in 180 days, dissolved in a day, will not pollute the environment, and the ordinary plastic bag will take 200 years to decompose.

Although this plastic bag is made of edible organic materials, its toughness and durability are not lost to ordinary plastic bags.

Wax worm can effectively decompose polyethylene products

Recently, a scientist named Federica Bertocchini accidentally discovered that there were many holes in the plastic bag after the wax insects were loaded. Through experiments, she and her partners believe that it is very likely that wax insects can break the chemical bonds in the process of foraging plastics (here, polyethylene products).

The researchers applied the crushed wax worms to polyethylene plastic bags. The results were very similar to the live wax worm experiments, leaving a hole in the bag. This shows that the wax worm does not only leave holes in the plastic bag by biting, but actually breaks the chemical bond.

Some of the chemical bonds that break down polyethylene bonds produced by waxworms may be in their salivary glands or in their intestinal symbiotic bacteria. Subsequent experiments will uncover the mystery of this substance, or it will be the key to completely resolve the "white pollution" crisis.

Microbes that have been found to decompose plastic

Biodegradation of fungi is an important way to control the contamination of synthetic polymers. Last year, the Odagi Gengping team at the Kyoto University of Technology in Japan discovered a β-proteobacteria with the ability to degrade PET film. A protein called PET degrading enzyme produced by β-proteobacteria can degrade PET, and then transport the degraded product into the body for further "digestion", which is finally converted into ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid.

Recently, Xu Jianchu, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany, discovered the biodegradation of Polyurethane by Aspergillus tubigensis. Xu Jianchu's research group isolated a new fungus that degraded polyurethane from municipal waste and identified it as Aspergillus tubigensis. The research results are published in the international mainstream environmental pollution magazine under the title "Biodegradation of Aspergillus oryzae Polyurethane".

Promote carbon dioxide-based biodegradable plastics

On April 19, 2017, the “300,000 tons/year carbon dioxide-based biodegradable plastics” and “300,000 tons/year nano-scale high-activity silica” project in Jilin Province held a groundbreaking ceremony in the Jilin Chemical Industry Circular Economy Demonstration Park. The project adopts the third generation synthesis technology of polycarbonate (PPC) biodegradable plastics from Changchun Yinghua, which has a wide application field and can be used in agricultural mulch, green shopping bags, express packaging, medical dressings, food packaging, garbage bags. The production of plastics. From the source, we found a practical solution to solve the problem of plastic waste.

Alternative to using plastic water bottles

According to statistics, 22,000 plastic bottles are discarded every second in the world. In the United States alone, the amount of plastics produced in a year is as high as 7 billion kilograms! Only 1/14 of the total will be recycled, and the remaining plastic bottles will become waste and be thrown into the ocean and buried in the soil.

Recently, three college students in the UK invented a water-like water storage container, Ooho, which can be eaten directly. This edible water polo is a double outer membrane, the main component of which is a natural seaweed extract. The film of this material can be naturally decomposed in 4-6 weeks, and it is made of natural plants. It can also be thrown into the soil as a fertilizer, and it will not pollute the environment like a plastic bottle.

When drinking, the first film can be peeled off and placed in the mouth, and the second film is placed with water or a drink. The ball capacity of each ball is 250 ml, and the cost is less than 2 cents. If it is mass production, the cost will be lower, which is cheaper than ordinary plastic bottles.

This Ooho 250ml capacity water polo is likely to be mass-produced and popular in the market because of its low production cost and environmentally friendly edible.

Use 3D printing technology to turn waste into treasure

Engineers at Deakin University's Advanced Engineering Training and Design Center have developed a technology that smashes discarded plastic products into granules, processes them into the print lines required for standard 3D printers, and prints them with various print lines. Useful plastic products, such as plumbing parts. The most important thing about this project is sustainability. This kind of printer can not only use the plastic garbage found around, but also operate through solar cells.

Chain Link Fence

Chain link fence, also known as diamond-shaped net, hook wire netting, galvanized chain link fence, plastic-coated chain link fence, high-quality chain link fence.