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Densification of Expanded Polystyrene Waste Using Organic Solvents, a Sustainable Recycling Strategy
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This book chapter or review synthesized research on microplastic contamination in soils and crops, examining how agricultural practices, plastic mulching, and irrigation with contaminated water introduce microplastics into food production systems. The work identifies transfer pathways from soil to edible plant tissues and assesses implications for food safety.
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a material with a wide range of applications in different sectors of everyday life and in industry. EPS is a major environmental challenge, as the properties that give it versatility of use make it a difficult waste to manage. Consequently, this type of plastic waste has a low recycling rate, which leads to the need to develop efficient solutions for its management and use postconsumer. Herein presents an assessment of the densification capacity of EPS waste using organic solvents as a sustainable strategy for the recovery of such waste. A mixed factorial experiment design was carried out in which the type of solvent, the revolutions per minute for agitation in the densification process and the concentration of the solvent were analyzed as incidence factors. A coefficient determination of 93.12% was obtained, demonstrating that the model fits normally. The results show that xylene and thinner have the best performance compared to other solvents used in the experiments. This study contributes to the optimization of solvent-based EPS densification processes by statistically identifying which ones are most effective under low-cost and low-energy consumption conditions, providing a scalable and replicable strategy, especially in regions where recycling infrastructure is limited.
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Sustainable adhesive from waste expanded polystyrene: Performance governed by solvent-substrate interplay
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Researchers converted post-consumer expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste into high-performance adhesives by dissolving it in organic solvents and blending with PMMA, achieving bond strengths up to nearly 2,000 kPa—demonstrating a practical upcycling route that turns plastic waste into a commercially viable product.
Optimisation of Process Parameters to Maximise the Oil Yield from Pyrolysis of Mixed Waste Plastics
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Researchers optimized the process parameters for thermal pyrolysis of mixed waste plastics to maximize oil yield from HDPE, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The study used response surface methodology to identify ideal conditions for converting plastic waste into pyrolytic oil, supporting chemical recycling as a strategy to reduce plastic pollution.
A mini-review on expanded polystyrene waste recycling and its applications
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This mini-review summarizes recycling technologies and emerging applications for expanded polystyrene waste, examining mechanical, chemical, and dissolution recycling methods and their practical feasibility for diverting EPS from landfill in both developed and developing countries.
Process Optimization of Solvents Assisted Polyethylene Waste Recycling
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Researchers optimized solvent-based chemical recycling of polyethylene plastic waste to recover high-quality recycled material. The study demonstrates that chemical recycling can be tuned to maximize yield and quality, offering a scalable alternative to mechanical recycling that degrades plastic properties over time.
A Multi-Measure Analysis: Evaluating the Sustainability of Polystyrene Waste Mitigation Technologies - Towards A Circular Economy: Sustainable Management
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A sustainability analysis of four polystyrene waste valorization pathways — plywood composites, concrete systems, chemical depolymerization, and anti-corrosive coatings — found each viable within a circular economy framework but requiring life-cycle assessment to avoid unintended consequences. Diverting polystyrene from landfills matters for microplastic pollution because weathered PS fragments into persistent nanoplastics that accumulate broadly in aquatic and terrestrial food webs.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.