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Recycled plastic particles9/3/2023 Greenhouse gases: the incineration of plastic produces carbon dioxide (CO 2) - a primary driver of global climate change. What are the environmental impacts of incineration? Incineration is one form of waste management. Incineration is the burning of a given material - in the case of plastic, this is done at very high temperatures. 5 The study concluded that whilst leachate of substances as either non-detectable or in very low concentrations, a precautionary approach would deem this material only controllable if landfills are equipped with adequate liner and leachate treatment. 4 A report by the European Commission aimed to provide a detailed analysis and overview of the available evidence on the behaviour of PVC in landfills. Where plastics are not handled correctly, some types of plastic - such as polyvinyl chloride PVC - can leach chemicals such as additives and plasticiser compounds. However, local pollution can occur where this is not implemented effectively, or the lining breaks down and is not replaced. Well-managed landfills are usually surrounded by protective lining to prevent water leaching to the surrounding environment. Leachate: decomposing material can produce nutrient-rich or polluted waters which - if not properly contained - can leach to the surrounding environment and potentially enter waterways and soils. Plastic, which is hard to break down, degrades over very long timescales (particularly under low oxygen conditions) does not contribute to this effect. In some landfill sites, methane gas can be captured and ‘flared’ (burned) for energy production. Greenhouse gases: when organic matter decomposes to produce methane (CH 4) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) - both are greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. However, such landfills still have negative environmental impacts: In many cases this involves covering or burying with soils or other materials. Well-managed landfill facilities have expectations to gather, compact and safely store waste. Such uncontrolled disposal facilities can make plastics vulnerable to pollution of the surrounding environment and at risk of entering the ocean. However, across many countries today landfill resources can be poorly-managed in many cases dumped in open landfills, pits or dumps. This is typically the case in high-income countries today where landfills are well-managed and effectively regulated. The modern definition of a landfill is of a disposal site for materials through burial. Here, it’s important to distinguish between the quality/effectiveness of landfills. One option of handling plastic waste is sending it to landfill. Are there types of bacteria that can break down plastic?.Is it true that some types of worm can break down plastic?.Can we remove plastic already in the ocean?.What can I do if I want to stop plastic pollution of the oceans?.Are plastic alternatives better for the environment?.Can we use biodegradable plastic instead?.How long does it take plastics to break down?.How many times can plastic be recycled?. Are all types of plastic equally easy to recycle?.Is it really helpful to separate recycling at home?.How much of global plastic waste is recycled?.Recycling, landfill or incineration: which should we choose?.What are the environmental impacts of incineration?.What are the environmental impacts of landfills?.I’ve heard most of our ocean plastic debris comes from fishing activity - is this true?.Where does the plastic in the ocean come from?.How much oil do we use to make plastic?.How much plastic and waste do we produce?.Here I attempt to answer/clarify some of the most commonly asked questions which are not directly covered in our main entry.Ĭlicking on any of the questions below will take you to the answer: However, having worked with the YouTube channel, Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, on its video on Plastics and its AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Plastics at Reddit, it is clear that people have many burning questions on the topic. There you should find most of the data and context needed to understand the problem of global plastics. In our full entry on Plastic Pollution we provide an in-depth overview of global plastic production, distribution, management, and impacts through data visualisations and explainers.
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