TOPIC : SINGLE-USE PLASTIC

GROUP MEMBERS :
GAURAVI
SHAKKHI
SHRADDHA
BABBLI
TARUN
CONTENTS
• Introduction
• Properties of plastics
• Advantages of plastics
• Single- use plastic
• Types of plastics
• Plastic pollution
• Single-use plastic waste decomposition
• Single-use plastics consumption in India
• Legitimate Uses of single-use plastics
• Recycling process
• Why single-use plastic can”t be recycled
• Ways to reuse single use plastics
• Mechanical and chemical recycling
• Advantages of recycling
• Energy Recovery
• Innovative solutions
• Our responsibility and conclusion
 INTRODUCTION
PLASTIC: A wide range of synthetic or semi synthetic
organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of
industrial products. Plastics are polymers of high molecular
weight. They may contain other substances to improve
performance and/or reduce costs.
 PROPERTIES OF PLASTICS

PROPERTIES OF PLASTICS

•Less brittle than glass ,hence can be made transparent and smooth.
•Corrosion resistance
•Low electrical and thermal conductivity, insulator
•Easily formed into complex shapes, can be formed, casted and joined.
•Wide choice of appearance, colors and transparencies
•Light weight but posses good strength and rigidity.
•Low moisture absorbtion.
•Heat resistance.
 ADVANTAGES OF PLASTICS OVER OTHER MATERIALS

 It can be moulded into finished products at a relatively low cost, compared to

the machining and fabricating costs for wood and metal.

 It resists chemicals.

 It poses a high strength to weight ratio.

 It does not rust like iron.

 It is non conductor of electricity.

 It is light in weight.

 It is easy to fabricate.
 What is single use plastic

 Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are

commonly used for plastic packaging7 and include items intended to be used
only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These include, among other
items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and
cutlery.

 Examples :
PETE – Polyethylene Terephthalate
HDPE – High density Polyethylene
PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride
LDPE Low-density Polyethylene
PP – Polypropylene
PS – Polystyrene.
polypropylene
 TYPES OF PLASTICS
Plastics can be divided into two classes :

1. Thermo plastics

2. Thermo setting plastics

 Thermo plastics
Thermo plastics: These plastics can be softened by heating and hardened by cooling any number of times
without changing the properties of the material.
• It is thus possible to shape and reshape these plastics by means of heat and pressure.
• One important advantage of this variety of plastics is that scrap obtained from old and warnout articles can
be effectively used again.
• Properties :
1. Softens and liquefies on heating and hardens up to cooling.
2. Retains shape after manufacture.
3. Suitable for recycling.
4. Can be reshaped by heat.
5. It may melt before passing to a gaseous state.
6. Allow plastic deformation when it is heated.
7. They are soluble in certain solvents.
• Examples: Polyvinyl chloride ( P V C ) , Acrylic , Polyethylene , Polypropylene , Polystyrene, Nylon.
 THERMOSETTING PLASTICS
 These plastics are either originally soft or liquid or they soften once upon heating, they harden permanently.
 When they are heated in the temperature of 127 degree centigrade to 177 degree centigrade , they set permanently and
further application of heat does not alter their form of soften them.
 But at temperature of about 343 degree centigrade, the charring occurs. The thermo setting plastics are durable, strong
and hard.
 They are available in a variety of beautiful colours.
 They are mainly used in engineering applications of plastics.

 Properties :
1. Permanently hard on heating above a certain temperature.
2. Undergoes chemical changes during manufacture.
3. Cannot be melted and reshaped.
4. Little potential for recycling.

 Examples: Melamine formaldehyde ( formica ), Phenolics ( bakelite ) , Urea formaldehyde, Epoxies, Polyesters.
 PLASTIC POLLUTION
 It is the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife,
wildlife habitat, or humans.
 Plastic composed of: Toxic chemicals Non biodegradable substances
 Polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene is largely used in the manufacture of plastics.
 These materials have molecular weight ranging from several thousands to 1, 50,000.
 Excessive molecular size is mainly responsible for the resistance of these chemicals to
biodegradation and their persistence in soil environment for a long time.
 Many plastic products are reaching the end of their lifecycle, forming non-biodegradable
mountains of plastic waste.
 Some constituents of plastic such as Benzene and Vinyl chloride cause: a. Cancer b. Birth defects c.
Damage to nervous and immune system d. Adversely affect the blood and the kidneys
 The noxious substances emitted during the production of plastic : Ethylene oxide, xylenes and
some gases that affect both air and soil.
 SINGLE USE PLASTIC IS SLOW TO
DEGRADE……
• Three major forms of plastic contributing to plastic pollution: Micro-plastics (2 µm and 5 mm in size) Macro-
plastics(size>20mm) Mega-plastics
• The mega- and macro-plastics are found in packaging, footwear, and other domestic items that have been washed off of ships
or discarded in landfills.
• Micro-plastics include items such as plastic grocery bags. They often end up in ocean waters through rivers and streams.
• Plastic debris that starts off as meso- or macro-debris can become micro-debris through degradation and collisions that break
it down into smaller pieces.
• Micro-plastics can easily end up released into the environment during production because of their small size.
 PLASTIC WASTE DECOMPOSITION
 Plastics contribute to approx. 10% of discarded waste
 In the MSW, the contribution of Thermoplastics is about 80% and Thermoset constitutes
approx. 20% of the total plastics waste generated.
 Plastic waste is mainly decomposed in landfills where it may take up to 1,000 years to
decompose, and potentially leak pollutants into the soil and water.
 Plastic requires high energy ultra-violet light to break down,so the amount of plastic waste in
our oceans is steadily increasing.
 Polymer degradation takes much longer as a result of haline environments and the cooling effect
of the sea.
 SINGLE USEPLASTICS CONSUMPTION IN INDIA:

 More than one fourth of the consumption in India is that of PVC.

 Poly bags and other plastic items except PET contributes to host of problems in India
such as choked sewers, animal deaths and clogged soils.
 India generates 56 lakhtonnes of plastic waste annually, with Delhi accounting for a
staggering 689.5 tonnes a day.
 1 tonne=20,000 plastic bottles
 In India waste plastics posing problems to the environment and human health due to the
lack of environmentally sound disposal practices.
 Legitimate uses of single-use plastic
• Today, many other plastic items are designed to be used just once, delivering benefits beyond convenience
and cost savings and ultimately supporting public health.
For example, single-use plastic products that prevent the spread of infection are crucial in the medical
industry. Instruments such as syringes, applicators, drug tests, bandages and wraps are often made to be
disposable. Furthermore, single-use plastic products have been enlisted in the fight against food waste,
keeping food and water fresher for longer and reducing the potential for contamination.
Because of its safety, flexibility and cost-effectiveness, plastic is the material of choice for these types of
products.
• Single-use plastics also play a role in scientific research. Many
scientists cringe as they look at their waste bin at the end of a
session in the lab. Typically, it will be filled with pipettes, gloves,
vials, sample bags, and the list goes on.
These items are used for their strength and resilience, and because
they prevent cross-contamination of sampling. As with medical
applications, many substitute materials do not provide the
protection or stability that single-use plastics do.
• Single-use plastics are often used to package food and water. While
this is unnecessary in most settings, certain situations do require
single-use packaging to ensure food and water safety. Domestic food
aid, emergency responses, and international aid efforts all require
food and water that can be stored without refrigeration and
distributed when and where it’s needed. Often this means packaging
it in lightweight, single-use plastics.
 WHY RECYCLE?
• In landfill, both synthetic and naturally occurring polymers don’t get the
necessary exposure to UV and microbes to degrade.
• Landfills not destroy plastics , it preserve the poison forever.
• The toxic chemicals escape from the landfills and contaminates the water
sources.
• When there are too many plastic in landfills, they are often destroyed in
incineration factories.
• Consequently it:
1. Contributes to Greenhouse Effect
2. Causes Lung Cancer
3. Contaminates Soil
 PLASTIC RECYCLING
• Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material
into useful products, sometimes completely different in form from their original state.
• Recycling is a viable alternative in getting back some of the energy stored in the polymers.
• As petroleum prices increase it is becoming financially viable to recycle polymers rather than
produce them from raw materials.
• the energy required to yield recycled plastics may be less than that consumed in the production
of the same resins from virgin feedstocks.(Curlee et.al,1991)
• Conserves both energy and material.
• Beverage containers and plastic bags are recycled more often.
• Reduction of carbon-dioxide (CO2), nitrogen-oxides (NOx) and sulphur-dioxide (SO2)
emissions.
 WHY SINGLE USE PLASTICS CAN”T BE RECYCLED
• Single use plastic troublesome example as they contain pigments that make packaging 
harder to detect by sorting technology.

• Mixed materials are those that have different types of material in the same product. For instance, a
plastic bag with a foil lining or a disposable coffee cup made of paper with a plastic lining. These
are especially difficult and expensive to separate. They are considered in many cases contaminated
and worthless.

• Recyclable materials might be in contact with radioactive materials

• The recycling requires plastics to be of nearly identical composition to mix efficiently

• Widespread use of dyes, fillers, and other additives in plastics makes recycling difficult

• Impossible to recycle at 100%

• Hence There is need to reuse single-use plastics

Ways to reuse single-use plastics
• As freezer bags
If you already buy frozen fruits and veggies that come in resealable bags, there’s no
point to buying new freezer bags. Just wash out the frozen produce bags and re-use
them. (Big 2-kg bags like the one above are especially handy, and can fit a whole loaf
of bread—one Chatelaine staffer takes them to her local bakery to catch sliced
loaves, sans bag.) You might not be able to see inside, but with a little bit of labeling,
those bags can go a long way.
• As garbage bags
It’s pretty common to use larger plastic grocery bags to take out garbage. Hopefully
you’ve made the switch to reusable grocery bags already, but even then, there are
still so many other unavoidable plastic bags that inevitably pop up. For example, in
eastern Canada, the litre-sized bags used for milk aren’t recyclable everywhere, and
most of them will inevitably end up in a landfill. Don’t overlook those—use plastic
bread bags, milk bags, or those flimsy produce bags (which are also sometimes
difficult to recycle) for anything from scooping up dog poo to lining compost bins.
• As food storage
Those yogurt tubs and margarine containers won’t work as a
microwaveable lunch container, but you can still use them to keep your
kitchen tidy. Pop in various bulk foods to stack on the counter or use
them to refrigerate leftovers or to bring them to work for lunch (just pour
food into a bowl to microwave). If you’re uncomfortable storing food in
plastic, they’re great for keeping loose household items too, like batteries.
• As produce bags
While there are cute reusable cloth produce bags out on the market,
it’s a good idea to start out by reusing plastic produce bags (provided
they don’t rip on you) and see if you actually remember to bring them
back to the store.
• Reuse Coffee Creamer Containers for
Snack Storage
•  Create a Piggy Bank Made From a
Reused Plastic Bottle
• Make a DIY Plastic Bottle Planter
• Upcycle a Lotion Bottle Into a Charging
Dock
•  Turn a Milk Carton Into a Garden Scooper
• Reuse Honey Bear Bottles by Making a Lamp
• Create Recycled Plastic Bottle Supply Cups
•  Make a Beach Bucket From Laundry Detergent
Containers
• Start an Herb Garden With Empty 2-Liter Bottles
• Reuse Plastic Bottles to Make a DIY Sprinkler
• Turn Plastic Bottle Trash Into a Trash Can
•  Recycle Laundry Detergent Containers Into Toy Cars
RECYCLING PROCESS

STEPS INVOLVED IN MECHANICAL RECYCLING:

• Cutting/shredding
• Contaminant separation
• Floating
• Milling
• Washing and drying
• Chemical washing
• Agglutination
• Extrusion
• Quenching
CHEMICAL or TERTIARY RECYCLING:

• Advanced technology processes which convert plastic materials into smaller

molecules which are suitable for use as a feedstock for the production of new
petrochemicals and plastics. (Mastellone, 1999)
• Products of chemical recycling have proven to be useful as fuel.
• METHODS INVOLVED:

* THERMAL DEPOLYMERIZATION: Depolymerization process using hydrous

pyrolysis for the reduction of complex organic materials into light crude oil.
Under pressure and heat, long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon
decompose into short-chain petroleum hydrocarbons. Polyethylene teraphthalate
(PET) and certain polyamides (nylon 6 (PA 6) and nylon 66) can be efficiently
depolymerised.
* HEAT COMPRESSION: It takes all unsorted, cleaned plastic in all forms, from
soft plastic bags to hard industrial waste, and mixes the load in tumblers.
Benefit :all plastic is recyclable, not just matching forms
ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLING
 Waste reduction

 Conservation of energy

 Save money

 Create new jobs

 Generate revenues

 Provides a sustainable source of raw materials to industry

ENERGY RECOVERY
• It is burning of waste to produce energy in the form of heat, steam and electricity.
• A very sensible way of waste treatment, when material recovery processes fail due to
economical constrains.
• Plastic materials possess a very high calorific value when burned.
• Since the heating value of plastics is high, they make a convenient energy source. Producing
water and carbon-dioxide upon combustion make them similar to other petroleum based
fuels. (Dirks, 1996)
• The destruction of foams and granules resulting from PSW also destroys CFCs and other
harmful blowing agents present. (Zia et al., 2007)
REDUCE the single-use plastic in your life

• Cook from raw ingredients when you have the time and inclination – this often results in
less packaging, and less food waste too.

• Cut back on unnecessary packaging by trying out scoop shops, or by buying from
greengrocers and delis who use paper bags. You could also look out for ‘zero-waste’ shops
such as Bulk Market in East London or The Zero Waste Shop in Totnes, Devon.

• Try alternative packaging systems and product refills via home deliveries. 
Milk floats are having a moment with some consumers shunning plastic in favour of bottled
milk.

• Look for takeaway lunch places that serve food in cardboard boxes rather than plastic (or
just bring in last night’s leftovers for lunch at work).

• Buy loose leaf tea – many people don’t realise that teabags contain plastic.

• Support supermarkets’ endeavors to reduce plastic. For example, 

Iceland has pledged a significant reduction in plastic use and Lidl now has plastic-free rice
and couscous products. By supporting these measures, you can encourage other food sellers
to follow suit.
MAKING PLASTICS FROM PLANTS!!
WOW!

Scientists have come up with a new technology of making plastic from

plant.
• Three bacterial enzymes have been introduced by the scientists in the
model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

• When the two enzymes are combined with the plant, an organic polymer
known as Polyhdroxybutyrate-copolyhydroxyvalerate (PHBV) is produced.

• PHBV is extensively used to produce variety of products like grocery bags,

soda bottles, flatware and disposable razors.

• The plastic when discarded are easily degraded

 OUR RESPONSIBILITY
It's impossible to eliminate most plastic from
daily life, but it's prudent for our health and that
of our environment to curb the use of some.

Overall reduction in plastic usage, proper

management for disposal and public awareness
would bring a great difference in present
situation. Separate .. Store..and hand over for
proper recycling or disposal. Do not let plastic
litter the environment.

"Stop the Plastic Pollution, Be Part of the

Solution"
SAVE EARTH!!!!