Plastic Recycling and Sustainability- With an increasing use of plastic, considerable plastic waste is generated, threatening the environment and public health. In particular, changes in living patterns in urban areas have significantly impacted the rate at which plastic waste increases every year. Thus, governments in many developed countries have implemented numerous policies to reduce plastic waste generation. Among them is the concept of circular economy that aims to protect the environment from plastic pollution and promote growth and innovation in industry and human life through overall changes in designing, producing, using, and recycling plastic products. The Korean government has implemented the Resource Circulation Act (RCA), which includes the concept of circular economy and resource efficiency policy for overall waste management. Following the concept of RCA, the Plastic Waste Control Plan (PWCP) was established for the comprehensive management of plastic waste. Therefore, this study introduces the goals and strategies of PWCP, which has a circulation system of four stages of production, consumption, discharge, and recycling, as well as the major roadblocks in the stages impeding the achievement of the goals and strategies. This study also suggests countermeasures at the government level for solving the major problems in the four stages. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan
1. Introduction
Plastic Waste Management Project - Due to their flexibility in terms of performance and processing, plastics are widely used in various industrial fields such as advanced electronic products, automobiles, construction, and disposable products. However, plastic waste treatment has emerged as one of the major concerns of the 21st century owing to the continued use of plastic. While most of the plastic wastes are landfilled or incinerated, they are unsustainable and a serious burden on the environment. Furthermore, depending on the circumstances of each country, some plastic waste is illegally discarded or thrown off over mountain tops and in seas. If this continues, approximately 12 billion tons of plastic waste could be dumped in nature by 2050. Thus, to solve this environmental problem, numerous countries are employing varied strategic systems for effective utilization of plastic waste and promoting the technical use of plastic waste as recycled materials that can replace limited resources. This is done by converting it into plastic raw material and energy in the thermal or oil form through chemical decomposition. These approaches may be similar to the transition to a resource circulation society wherein the concept of a circular economy is introduced. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan
The existing socioeconomic system comprises a linear economic structure of take–make–dispose. Thus, it has been limited in coping with the crisis of environmental problems and resource depletion. However, the circular economic structure can be considered an alternative in the socioeconomic system because it enables used resources to be retained in the socioeconomic system for a long time and waste in the disposal phase to be reused as secondary raw material or as energy to ensure the use of as little natural resources as possible. Therefore, establishing a resource efficiency policy based on the circular economy concept is essential for effective plastic waste management. The European Union has adopted a plastic management strategy that includes three basic aims: (1) to promote a circulation system, which includes designing plastic products, discharging after consumption, separating for collection, recycling the plastic products, and encouraging demand for recycled products; (2) to reduce the discarding and abandoning of plastic waste; and (3) to expand research and investment for the circulation system of plastics. This strategy was established as a comprehensive response to two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) released in 2015: “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” (12th goal) and “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development” (14th goal) Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan
Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan - In Korea, the resource efficiency policy for general waste management has been underway. At the same time, the Ministry of Environment has established and implemented the Resource Circulation Act (RCA) in line with the concept of UN SDGs. In addition, the 10-year Resource Circulation Master Plan (RCMP), which includes mid-term and long-term policy directions and detailed strategies, was implemented to realize a circular economy. In 2018, the Plastic Waste Control Plan (PWCP) was established for effective plastic waste management based on the RCA and the RCMP. In this plan, the plastic waste means a synthetic polymer compound waste according to Waste Control Act of Korea. It includes synthetic resin waste, synthetic rubber waste, polyvinyl chloride resin waste, polyurethane foam waste, aquaculture waste, synthetic resin foam waste, packaging waste, and fishing net waste. This new plan has a strategy to establish a circular economy system for plastics and specifically aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste to less than 50% and recycle more than 70% of the plastic waste generated by 2030. Further, PWCP has three basic strategies to achieve the stated goals: (1) to re-establish production and consumption structures to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated; (2) to prepare a step-by-step improvement plan in the circulation system including production, consumption, discharge, and recycling stages; and (3) to reinforce the responsibilities of each agent such as government, municipalities, producers, and consumers. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan
2. Status of Plastic Waste in Korea
Waste in Korea is largely divided into two types: household type (HT) and industrial type (IT). HT waste is generated by human activities and includes product waste (plastic packaging materials, styrofoam, vinyl, etc.), food waste, waste oil, and animal carcasses. IT waste is generated through production or construction activities at industrial sites, e.g., waste synthetic polymers, process sludge, slag, dust, and waste catalysts. In particular, as shown, construction waste, including earth and sand, waste bricks, waste concrete, waste wood, and waste reinforcing bars, generated during building or dismantling are managed separately within the IT. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan
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