A Matter (cont'd)


Plastic Use Reorganisation…

Plastic is used in many areas such as packaging, building-construction, transportation, health, electrical-electronics, agriculture, and sports-hobby-design (Saydaş Plastik, 2024). The composition of plastic is very resistant to dissolution/degradation in the environment. This makes the existence of plastic in nature an environmental problem. Depending on their type, plastics are symbolised by numbers within a triangle with three arrows. The main types of plastic and some products according to their symbols are as follows (Renovables Verdes, 2024; Sıfır Atık Projesi, 2024):
1) PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate): Used as beverage-medicine bottles, rope, clothing, and carpet fiber. It is the most recycled type of plastic.
2) HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): Used as milk-shampoo-soap-bleach and detergent bottles. It is mostly converted.
3) PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Used as non-food bottles, pipes, and windows. It is one of the most dangerous types of plastic for health and the environment. It is usually converted.
4) LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene): Used as stretch film, sandwich box, plastic bag, and squeezable product bottle. It is usually converted.
5) PP (Polypropylene): Used as yoghurt container, margarine box, and plastic bottle cap. It is rarely converted.
6) PS (Polystyrene): Used as paper cups, plastic cutlery, and packaging foam. It is rarely converted.
7) Other Plastics: Used as baby bottles, compact discs, and demijohns/carboys. It is rarely converted.

Moreover; There are also bioplastics, biodegradable plastics, thermoplastics, thermoset plastics, and microplastics. The last of these is the type of plastic that is known today as one of the main pollutants of the environment and poses a great danger to everyone's health. These are small synthetic particles originating from some petroleum derivatives. Their size is usually less than 5 mm and, therefore, their presence cannot be noticed (Renovables Verdes, 2024).

The benefits of plastic are listed as follows (PLASFED, 2024):
1) Disposable plastic bags save water resources, 2) Plastic is a lightweight material, 3) Energy is saved with plastic, 4) Light bulbs made of plastic layers are of higher quality and more efficient, 5) It is an ideal material for the construction industry, 6) Plastic pipe contributes to access to clean water and agricultural productivity, 7) It provides energy efficiency, 8) It provides fuel savings, 9) Plastic creates lower volume solid waste, 10) Plastic can be recycled in greater numbers.

The main harms of plastic waste, especially to the environment, are listed as follows (Uludağ AYM, 2024):
1) Since it is easier to produce and use than other fossil fuels, producing bags from oil indirectly increases the demand for oil. Thus, toxic gases released into the nature during the processing and burning of oil cause environmental pollution.
2) Plastic waste, which takes many years to decompose in nature, enters the food chain during the long destruction process and disrupts the balance of the ecosystem due to the negative effects it has on the environment as soil and water pollutants.
3) Toxins from plastics can cause carcinogenic effects when in contact with the sun, threatening human health and causing serious health problems. For example, hot bread placed in a nylon bag can turn into poison for humans as a result of the nylon bag reacting with heat.
4) Plastic garbage accumulating in the oceans causes serious environmental problems through mechanical erosion and chemical weathering in the seas.
5) Plastic waste released into nature negatively affects the creatures living in the sea and the wild animals that feed on these creatures as a result of being carried to the seas by the effect of the winds.

Photographs about high pollution caused by the burning of plastic waste, waste clusters on sea/river edges, sea creatures e.g. turtles) trying to swim among these wastes, waste getting wrapped around the throat/body of these creatures (e.g. seals/fish) endangering their lives, and the difficult conditions of the people who collected them earning their living in waste areas provide very striking images on the subject. Therefore, plastic waste should be prevented from being released into nature and recycled as much as possible.

After all this information, the question is: Can plastics really be included in the recycling process today and thus minimise the environmental negativities they cause? Because, as seen in the plastic types section; PET/PETE can be recycled significantly, HDPE mostly, PVC and LDPE generally, and PP-PS and other plastics rarely.

According to OECD's "Global Plastic Outlook" report, only 9% of plastic waste can be properly recycled after accounting for losses during recycling. Again in the same report; it is stated that 19% of plastic waste worldwide is burned, around 50% goes to regular landfills, and the remaining 22% is thrown into uncontrolled landfills or the environment. Thus, it is stated that plastics are responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. In light of all this information, OECD proposes a "coordinated global solution" to reduce plastic waste (Anadolu Ajansı, 2022), (OECD, 2022, 14).

For the sake of the world's well-being, it is necessary to heed the calls of the OECD and similar institutions. In this context, it is possible to follow a dual path: either all plastic types should be included in the recycling process with a global consensus, or the production of PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and other plastics, except for PET/PETE and HDPE types that can be recycled to a significant extent, should be limited/stopped.

If we do not do this, this will happen naturally one day. Frankly, it seems more reasonable to take the necessary precautions before that day comes.

References
* Anadolu Ajansı (2022). Dünya genelinde plastik atıkların sadece yüzde 9'u geri dönüştürülebiliyor. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/cevre/dunya-genelinde-plastik-atiklarin-sadece-yuzde-9u-geri-donusturulebiliyor/2510128, retrieved on 03.01.2024.
* OECD (2022), Global Plastic Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Policy Options. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en, https://doi.org/10.1787/de747aef-en, retrieved on 25.03.2024.
* Plastik Sanayicileri Federasyonu (PLASFED) (2024). Plastik ile İlgili Doğrular. https://www.plasfed.org.tr/tr/yayinlar/plastik-ile-ilgili-dogrular, retrieved on 13.01.2024.
* Renovables Verdes (Yenilenebilir Yeşil) (2024). Plastik Türleri. https://www.renovablesverdes.com/tr/tipos-de-plasticos/, retrieved on 28.01.2024.
* Saydaş Plastik (2024). Plastik Türleri ve Kullanım Alanları. https://saydasplastik.com.tr/plastik-turleri-ve-kullanim-alanlari/, retrieved on 15.03.2024.
* Sıfır Atık Projesi (2024). Plastik Atık. https://sifiratik.gov.tr/plastik-atik, retrieved on 24.04.2024.
* Uludağ Üniversitesi Atık Yönetim Merkezi (Uludağ AYM) (2024). Plastik Atıkların Çevreye Zararları. https://uludag.edu.tr/atikyonetimi/haber/view?id=13456&title=plastik-atiklarin-cevreye-zararlari, retrieved on28.05.2024.