Plastic wastes in the time of COVID-19: Their environmental hazards and implications for sustainable energy resilience and circular bio-economies

Kumar, P. Senthil; Sonne, Christian; Song, Hee Jo; Kim, Ki‐Hyun

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159880

Cited by 27 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 141 publications

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“…Globally, about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste was from hospitals and laboratories each year pre-COVID-19 and was doubled to an estimated 630 million tonnes during 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 6 Second, on average, about 9% of waste plastic is recycled globally. This is largely due to the necessity of sorting before the recycling process.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Tang,

Chan,

Chai

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Globally, approximately 300 million metric tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually, and over 90% of them are either disposed to the landfill or incinerated. Though there are commitments to reduce waste plastics, it has its limitations. In this review, the various types of thermochemical processes (pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal liquefaction) used for plastic waste upcycling are first introduced. The production of synthetic fuel, fine chemicals, and carbon nanotubes through these processes are then discussed, with the effects of each factor scrutinized. Technical challenges of the production using plastic waste and how it can be overcome are then highlighted. Economical and environmental assessment of the processes are also analyzed to determine whether such processes are viable for upcycling of waste plastic, closing the carbon economy loop.

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Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is for hygiene purposes and prevention of cross-contaminations. Globally, about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste was from hospitals and laboratories each year pre-COVID-19 and was doubled to an estimated 630 million tonnes during 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak . Second, on average, about 9% of waste plastic is recycled globally.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Tang,

Chan,

Chai

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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“…In response to the severe energy crisis and environmental pollution problems exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, [1] developing a technology that can make full use of solar energy for visible light catalytic water cracking to produce hydrogen and provide a renewable potential strategy for replacing non-renewable fossil fuels is of great importance. [2][3][4][5][6] Hydrogen and oxygen produced by photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is an ideal energy source for the future.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Piezoelectric Effect Promoted Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Ability of ZnIn₂S₄ Photoanode with Highly Exposed Active (110) Facets

Li,

Wang,

Guo

et al. 2024

ChemCatChem

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It is important to design high performance photoelectrode materials in the process of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, ZnIn2S4 nanomaterial with highly exposed active (110) facets were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. Meanwhile, piezoelectric polarization was used to induce the generation of built‐in electric field, which can suppress the compounding of photogenerated charge carriers caused by structural defects at the semiconductor surface. By controlling the crystal facet structure, ZnIn2S4 with a highly exposed active (110) facet shows a better photoelectrochemical water splitting performance under ultrasound, and its photocurrent density increases with the increase of ultrasound frequency, reaching a maximum value of 0.36 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE, which is 2.8 times higher than that without ultrasound. It can be concluded that the (110) facet of ZnIn2S4 can induce a larger internal piezoelectric potential which allows rapid electron transer at the ZnIn2S4 surface, under ultrasonic conditions. And the highly exposed (110) facet also provides more reactive sites, leading to further enhanced catalytic activity. Such nanomaterial with highly exposed active facets will provide inspiration for the construction of photoelectrode systems with high photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency.

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“…The process of flow gasification has been recognized as a highly promising technique for the efficient and clean production of syngas on a large scale. , A variety of materials can be used in the different stages of this process, including biomass gasification in the early stages of technology development, reverse multiburner gasification of coal-water slurry, and noncatalytic partial oxidation utilizing natural gas or coke oven gas. In addition, solid fuels can be converted into cleaner gaseous fuels through steam gasification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Plasma Gasification Treatment of Plastic Waste: Evaluating Environmental, Economic, and Strategic Dimensions

Rida Galaly,

Van Oost,

Dawood

2024

ACS Omega

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The conversion of waste to energy is an essential process in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, where it plays a crucial role in waste management. The annual analysis of the decomposition hazards of the landfills in the city of Makkah showed that they ranged from 168,000 Mg in 1994 to 297,000 Mg in 2022. The emission costs of pollution ranged from 4 million in 1994 to 7 million in 2022. The number of gas emissions of plastic waste accumulating in the analyzed landfill has increased from 128,000 Mg in 1994 to 227,000 Mg in 2022. The thermal plasmas used were produced by air plasma torches, which are an essential part of plasma reactors. The operational characteristics of air plasma torches were investigated at a flow rate of 10−30 g/s, including current−voltage characteristics, applied power, applied flow rate, average temperatures of the exiting plasma jet ranging from 15,000 to 19,000 K, average velocity of the exiting plasma jet (1677.3−2763.2) m/s, wavelength of the emitted radiation ranging from 153 to 193 nm, and the corresponding beam lengths ranging from 400 to 450 mm. The proposed plasma gasification is the greenest method for processing plastic waste in the light of ecological, economic, and strategic visions with an amount of recovered pyrolysis oil in the year 2022 of 3.17 × 10 5 tons with an equivalent energy of 12.55 × 109 MJ, with an output efficiency value equal to 81%. A roadmap for the economic and environmental visions was introduced, where the economic return on investment (ROR%) was 80%, the payback period (PBP) was 1.2 years, and the gross profit reached 129%.

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Plastic wastes in the time of COVID-19: Their environmental hazards and implications for sustainable energy resilience and circular bio-economies

Cited by 27 publications

References 141 publications

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Piezoelectric Effect Promoted Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Ability of ZnIn₂S₄ Photoanode with Highly Exposed Active (110) Facets

Sustainable Plasma Gasification Treatment of Plastic Waste: Evaluating Environmental, Economic, and Strategic Dimensions

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Plastic wastes in the time of COVID-19: Their environmental hazards and implications for sustainable energy resilience and circular bio-economies

Cited by 27 publications

References 141 publications

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Thermochemical Valorization of Waste Plastic for Production of Synthetic Fuels, Fine Chemicals, and Carbon Nanotubes

Piezoelectric Effect Promoted Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Ability of ZnIn2S4 Photoanode with Highly Exposed Active (110) Facets

Sustainable Plasma Gasification Treatment of Plastic Waste: Evaluating Environmental, Economic, and Strategic Dimensions

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Piezoelectric Effect Promoted Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Ability of ZnIn₂S₄ Photoanode with Highly Exposed Active (110) Facets