The Reality of Recycling Plastics in Massachusetts

Brianna Nece

Plastics are found in almost everything and anything. The use of industrialized plastic production started in 1950, after plastics rose to 2 million tons per year for global production. Back in 1839, the start of synthetic plastics began with the production of polystyrene, then polyvinyl chloride was added (1835), and lastly bakelite (1907) to be among the first three. Plastics have been gradually increasing in production to where it is today, at about 380 million tons each year, with an estimated production of 30,000 million tons of plastics by 2050.

The first thing to address and understand is the process of recycling plastics. There are two major ways to recycle plastics, which are mechanical and chemical recycling. There are a few different techniques used with mechanical recycling. The steps involve shredding, expulsion of any contamination, and separation of flakes. This process involves the melting of plastics to get to these uniform pellets that can be used in several different ways, such as for injection/blow molding and cast/film extrusion. These are just some of the basic steps, but they can vary based on the type of plastics. PET, for example, can possess a high number of pollutants due to sugars, adhesives, and even other plastics. This is why PET needs to be separated early on in the process so that it can be cleaned. Polyolefins also have a slightly different processing. The mechanical process of polyolefins involves degradation at the molecular level, which can vary for each polyolefin type. The degradation includes the breakdown of macroradicals that are found within a molecular chain, and this occurs when the radicals react with oxygen during the melting process. Chemical recycling is another aspect of recycling plastics. It is a more energy-intensive process that involves a combination of heat and chemical reactions to reduce plastic into fundamental components. One of the bigger chemical recycling options is pyrolysis, which converts plastic into low molecular products for fuel or feedstock. Both of these recycling processes are important, and sometimes both are needed to fully break down plastics. However, not all plastics are recyclable; many plastics will be disposed of in other ways. 

The next important step is to address the different forms of plastic disposal as well. There are two major forms of plastic disposal, which are landfills and incineration. Landfills are the least expensive and easiest to manage disposal method. Landfills are typically placed in an area that has been engineered as a containment site that sits in a depression. The foundation holds a multicompartment liner that houses a leachate system. Then the waste is positioned in layers that can be compressed down. There is also a gas collector installed to preserve the gas released from the waste for treatment or renewable energy. Landfills rely on anaerobic conditions to have microbes break down waste, and during decomposition, gas is released. The remaining layers in the landfill are the interim and final cover are placed to keep waste inside during filling, precipitation out, and the surrounding area safe from contamination. The incineration process can also have energy recovery benefits. The incineration process takes waste and turns it into electricity, heat, and other fuels. The combustion process takes place at temperatures between 750 and 1100 degrees Celsius, where steam is produced, which can be used for heating or electricity. Incineration can help reduce the amount of waste within the landfill by 70 to 85 percent of the mass. Within the United States, plastic waste is mainly found in landfills at 76 percent, while 16 percent is incinerated, and only 9 percent is recycled. However, there are consequences for all of these disposal and recycling techniques for plastics. 

 Within the last two decades, there have been 13 major life cycle studies conducted on recycling technologies and disposal techniques. These studies have explored the implications of these different techniques on the environment. The incineration process for plastics has led to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Chemical recycling also has an impact on greenhouse gas releases due to high energy consumption from fossil fuels. These resulting greenhouse gases affect the environment by trapping heat within the atmosphere, which in turn increases the global temperature, a phenomenon known as climate change. Incineration also contributes the most to air pollution, and while mechanical recycling is the lowest of all, it still contributes as well. Landfills may have low air pollution, but they can contribute to soil and water pollution. Overall, mechanical recycling has the lowest carbon emission and energy consumption, but it can only recycle a small portion of plastics. 

That is why it is important to lay the foundation for plastic recycling and disposal to understand the impacts of the different technologies in place. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection put together a policy framework for the 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan. The master plan sets out with a goal for Massachusetts to build towards a zero-waste future through the elimination of difficult-to-recycle materials and more reuse through durable goods. An extension to this was the Reduce and Reuse Action Plan to help implement programs and initiatives over the ten-year period. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is laying the framework for the Reduce and Reuse Action Plan, which encompasses various programs and grabs the attention of stakeholders. The department came forward with five different barriers to guarantee the reduction and reuse of waste for the benefit of the commonwealth. The first is the cultural barrier because there is an absence of knowledge and understanding when it comes to adapting the idea of reducing waste. The next barrier is access because Massachusetts lacks sufficient options for reusing waste. The third barrier is infrastructure, which is the focus of recycling organizations getting more support to expand capacity. The fourth barrier is policy, which includes overcoming local and national procedures that limit reducing and recycling waste. The last barrier is the market because market sensations and various products that are made do not always meet the standards for recycling and delivering less waste. 

The steps for addressing these barriers are being addressed in a few different ways. To change the education and behavior barrier, the first action is a state-wide education campaign for best practices to reduce waste. Some other initiatives are an online reuse directory and an online reuse calculator. There is also a need for starting reuse initiatives within municipalities, schools, and universities. To help provide the resources and support needed, the first few actions are more material management guidelines, promoting reduce/reuse events, and technical assistance for start-up funding on reusable foodware. To further aid in financial support and grants, a few actions are incentivizing reuse programs and the reuse of building materials. There is also a lack of access in the workforce for further training on reuse actions. A few actions to address this are expanding training for the refurbishment of goods and coordinating with state agencies for new development. The last few actions laid out in this action plan involve more networking amongst stakeholders, working with legislation, and government procurement. Across the board, Massachusetts is not standing by, but the state is actively working towards taking action to better reduce plastics in order to have a better future for generations to come. There is a call for each one of us to action because we can all do our part through learning and implementing better reducing and reusing practices. 

Citations

1. Houqian Li, A. Aguirre-Villegas, H., D. Allen, R., Xianglan Bai, H. Benson, C., T. Beckham, G., L. Bradshaw, S., L. Brown, J., C. Brown, R., S. Cecon, V., B. Curley, J., W. Curtzwiler, G., Son Dong, Soumika Gaddameedi, E. García, J., Ive Hermans, Soo Kim, M., Jiaze Ma, O. Mark, L., … W. Huber, G. (2022, September 14). Expanding Plastics Recycling Technologies: Chemical Aspects, Technology Status and challenges. Green Chemistry. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2011/g6/d2gc02588d#imgfig14

2. Massachusetts Reduce & Reuse Action Plan December 2021. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. https://www.mass.gov/guides/solid-waste-master-plan