TITLE:
Plastic Waste Pollution Worsen by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Substitutional Technologies Transforming Plastic Waste to Value Added Products
AUTHORS:
Djamel Ghernaout, Noureddine Elboughdiri
KEYWORDS:
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Plastic Waste, Medical Waste, Waste Management, Value-Added Product
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.8 No.7,
July
1,
2021
ABSTRACT: Throughout the world, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic possesses an enormous effect on the plastic waste management because of the unexpected flow of medical waste that has been conducted to a universal waste management calamity. Inappropriate handling of plastic waste could conduct to numerous unwanted effects on nature, animals, and human beings. Nevertheless, following appropriate waste management and the valid techniques, considering in a dissimilar manner of the existing catastrophe would be a chance. Approximately 40% of the plastic waste ended up in landfill, 25% incinerated, 16% recycled and the remaining 19% are discharged into nature. The augmentation of plastic wastes and demand of plastic markets work as a good economic measure for investors and government initiatives to invest in techniques that transform plastic waste into value-added products like fuel and construction materials. This will close the loop of the life cycle of plastic waste via attaining a sustainable circular economy. This short discussion furnishes insight of the state of plastic waste before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The treatment route of plastic waste like sterilization technology, incineration, and substitutional techniques obtainable in transforming plastic waste into value-added products are briefly assessed. More performant, flexible and advanced technologies of dealing with the plastic wastes under dangerous catastrophes ought to be continuously suggested. Every action followed will participate to the importance of such problem since this is a key aim of the community to safe a cleaner and greener nature.