Processing and Recycling of Plastic Wastes for Sustainable Material Management

Plastics are widely used in various activities by humans such as healthcare, manufacturing, thermal insulation, furnishings, electricity, farming, domestic use and technological use like sanitary fittings and pipes, and so on. However, because this plastic garbage is non-biodegradable, it poses waste management issues. A recycling industry should help mother earth to conserve nature. Plastic waste recycling should be practiced without the emission of harmful pollutants. But due to the lack of standard operating procedure in an environmentally sound manner, there is an improper recycling of plastic waste which results in the emission of pollutants which do not have a proper remedy. Plastic waste with high calorific values can be utilized as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for thermal power plants. Catalysts are used to increase process efficiency in chemical recycling procedures, which have been widely explored for energy and material recovery. The modification of construction materials using waste plastic has drawn the most attention of all of them. Modification of construction material with plastic waste serves a dual purpose. In addition, it uses fewer mined building materials, lessening the quantity of plastic waste that ends up in landfills or ends up as litter and reducing the harmful effects of the construction industry on the environment. Plastics may release toxic flue gas when it is treated with chemical methods. In the place of occupation, it is important to concentrate on workability and maintain an accident-free environment. It is important that a recycler should practice good health and safety practices.