Packaging Plastic Waste Management for a Circular Economy and Identifying a better Waste Collection System using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges for solid waste management systems is the ever-growing use and disposal of plastic materials which have severe repercussions on the environment and ocean. Linear economy (take, make, throw) recycles as little as 2 % of plastics globally, wasting the humongous amount of resources. This is high time for the implementation of the circular economy, especially among plastics. A circular economy would both maximize the merits of plastics and minimize their ill effects, through such actions as producing them from plants rather than fossil fuels; redesigning products to cut waste and make them last; boosting recycling and reuse, and utilizing plastic wastes as a resource; to name a few. Categorizing the post-industrial plastic waste can lead to differentiating recyclables, reusable from dead-end plastics. This will help us to reduce what we don’t need and reuse what we need. In this study, we are focusing on the plastic waste generated by packaging industry because they contribute the highest (almost 40%) of total plastic waste generated. A model for recycling the waste generated from packaging industry has been proposed which provides recycling of the waste in multiple levels i.e. we can extract the same product from the waste by high grade recycling of can use them in secondary operations like as charcoal, construction material. After that an AHP analysis has been prepared for identifying best plastic waste collection methods because for successful operation of recycling to happen, collection and proper segregation is a very important prerequisite. Results showed that Deposit and Refund method collection is best suited for waste collection method as it is supporting the concept of circular economy. At the end, a case study of successful implementation of Circular Economy is presented.