PLASTIC WASTE SOLUTIONS

Similar to Global Warming though Similar to Global Warming, though not as appreciated, Plastic waste is

l i bl a large emerging problem. • Our descendents are going to f bl t face problems we cannot comprehend. •We manufactured as much We manufactured as much plastic in the last decade as we did all of last century•In Australia 1.5 million tons pa•In the USA 30 million tons pa Plastic Bottles collected from

St Kild B h E t 2011•Where does all this go once used? St Kilda Beach Easter 2011

WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?

Plastic is not a natural material. It is made by man to purposely not degrade.

Every piece of plastic every made and disposed to a landfill is still thereto a landfill is still there.

It will last 300, 500 or 1000+ years, we just do not know

We have only been making it in earnest for We have only been making it in earnest for about 40 years.

HOW MUCH PLASTIC DO WE USE?HOW MUCH PLASTIC DO WE USE?

Pl ti b g 1 t illi 32 000 d Plastic bags – 1 trillion a year, 32,000 a second In Aust estimated 42,000 bags every 5 mins, 50-80

million plastic bags end up as litter every yearmillion plastic bags end up as litter every year In the USA, 2 million drink bottles /5 mins

I Vi 2 billi b ttl / l 28% l d In Vic, approx 2 billion bottles/yr, only 28% recycled Bottled water industry

expanding 10% paexpanding 10% pa 46,000 pieces of plastic are

floating in every square mile floating in every square mile of ocean

HOW TO CONTROL PLASTIC WASTECURRENT PROMOTIONS BY REGULATORY AGENCIES

Reduce this is the most obvious way.Use paper strawsU db d l tUse cardboard platesUse cardboard cupsReduce shrink wrap on pallets shippingReduce shrink wrap on pallets shippingReduce plastic packaging used on food items

Recycle Prolongs the plastic Recycle Prolongs the plastic Reuse Prolongs the plastic None of this enforced at all by Govt or Industry

PRIOR CLAIMS FOR PLASTIC WASTE CONTROLPRIOR CLAIMS FOR PLASTIC WASTE CONTROL

Historically (last 20 years)Degradation methods claimed for plastic were:Degradation methods claimed for plastic were: Composting using a plant based plastic material

O d g d bl dditi t h i ll f g t th Oxodegradable additives to chemically fragment the plastic in the presence of sunlight and oxygen

Do these work?

COMPOSTING ISSUESCOMPOSTING ISSUES

Unless maintained at approx 60 C & high humidity and in oxygen Unless maintained at approx 60 C & high humidity and in oxygen, composting does not occur. Plastic remains like a normal plastic.

Few commercial composting facilities around, and certainly not known by the average consumerknown by the average consumer

Consumers not going to drive across town to drop off a few compostable plates and forksN b id ll i f bl i l i No separate curb side collection of compostable materials meaning they never get sorted.

Compostable plastic labels have the recyclable # 7 symbol, which tells the recycler they are ‘other’ plastic only and provide no information, on how that plastic item is to be treated.H t th l dfill it g t i f l g l g ti NOT Hence to the landfill it goes, to remain for a long long time, NOT biodegrading.

Cannot be put in general plastic recycling stream

OXODEGRADABLE ISSUESOXODEGRADABLE ISSUES Method also receives a lot of marketing from the additive

manufacturers as the saviour to plastic wastemanufacturers as the saviour to plastic waste. Chemical reaction on plastic to fragment to smaller and smaller pieces.

Down to very fine particles. Degradation starts immediately while the item sits on the shelf Degradation starts immediately while the item sits on the shelf Requires to be in sunlight and oxygen, i.e. on top of the ground – litter

region No degradation in a landfill No sunlight or O2 No degradation in a landfill – No sunlight or O2 1000’s of fragments makes a bigger environmental

hazard than the original large single piece Smaller fragments become ingested into the Smaller fragments become ingested into the

food chain by wildlife Cannot be put in recycle stream Claims of biodegradation of very small fragments Claims of biodegradation of very small fragments.

Inconsistent. Will not fragment unless in sunlight and O2 i.e. on ground or in ocean where bacteria are not present.

A GENERAL SOLUTION – USING A O G OLANDFILL BIODEGRADATION ADDITIVE

R t (2008) d l t f 2 C ’ Recent (2008) developments from 2 Co’s USA

Organic additive added to normal plastic at time of g pextrusion. No special equipment req.

Allows natural bacteria in a landfill to digest plasticTh 4th R R j C l i b k The 4th R – Rejuvenate Convert plastic back to nature.

Works in aerobic or deeper anaerobic landfill layers Eliminates all plastic waste in OUR generational life Eliminates all plastic waste in OUR generational life No shelf life issue, No bacteria – no degradation Plastic fully recyclable, even encouraged Plastic fully recyclable, even encouraged ASTM anaerobic lab tests show biodegradation in as little

as 6 mos -3 yrs. Projected 3-10 yrs in actual landfill, depending on item size & landfill bacteria concentration depending on item size & landfill bacteria concentration.

CONSIDERCONSIDER

If all plastics contained this;If all plastics contained this; Still be recycled Still be reused Will not degrade until Will not degrade until

disposed to a landfill The 72% of plastic The 72% of plastic

we send to landfills now would biodegrade away to humus (plant fertiliser) and biogas away to humus (plant fertiliser) and biogas over a number of years, not remain trash for

d d tour descendants

BIOGAS BYPRODUCTBIOGAS BYPRODUCT

Aerobic conditions CO2, shallow landfill layers

Anaerobic conditions CH4, deeper regionsAnaerobic conditions CH4, deeper regions

Methane is a more potent global warming gas Half life of 10 years in atmosphere Global warming potential of 72 over 20 years or Global warming potential of 72 over 20 years or

25 over a 100 yearsE ll l i i f l P id Excellent low emission fuel. Provides opportunities for landfills to use the energy.

LANDFILL GAS COLLECTIONLANDFILL GAS COLLECTION

Increased methane production – more Increased methane production more commercial opportunities to collect gas

Methane gas can be sold, g ,- replacing other more dirty fuels, - reduction on dependence on foreign oil

Use of fuel to operate facilitiesExample: Altamont Landfill facility in CA.O t 500 t h ll ti t k - Operates 500 trash collection trucks on its own LNG made from CH4.

- Powers its own plantPowers its own plant- Buys no external fuel for its

operationsp

BRISBANE EXAMPLE BRISBANE EXAMPLE BRISBANE TIMES 14 JULY

Willawong Landfill in the city's south to open & operate over Willawong Landfill in the city s south to open & operate over the next decade with Diamond Energy.

Operational by June 2012y Electricity will be generated by burning off the methane gas "Not that long ago, landfill sites were nothing more than

holes in the ground but now we have a way to turn what was holes in the ground, but now we have a way to turn what was useless waste into a useful energy source," Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk

Another landfill gas facility at Rochedale has been generating power since 2004 and produces enough renewable electricity each year to power 6 500 homes renewable electricity each year to power 6,500 homes.

20 OECD countries are already using this sort of technology

OTHER LANDFILL CONSIDERATIONSOTHER LANDFILL CONSIDERATIONS

L dfill i I it bi d g d ti Landfills are expensive. Insitu biodegradation reuse landfill volume to take more waste

Leachate pumping keepsgas paths open for moreggas recovery

Accelerated biodegradation Accelerated biodegradationwith active with leachate recirculationrecirculation.Operating as a Bioreactor

6 JULY 20116 JULY 2011(ON CLIMATE CHANGE)

“L i g t ' d lt t l th “Leaving tomorrow's adults to solve the problem is no solution at all.COST OF LIVING t d i t COST-OF-LIVING pressures seem to dominate our daily lives and it is not often easy to think

fbeyond tomorrow. But imagine a future where these pressures are exacerbated and then take the time to consider that we could have done something about them”.

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