Environmental impact
Recycling and recovery of plastic waste
YOUR IDEAL PARTNER FOR PLASTICS & A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
Plastic waste ends up in pipes, clogging drainage systems and causing wastewater to stagnate. This encourages the proliferation of pests such as mosquitoes and other bacteria responsible for many diseases such as malaria and typhoid fever.
In the Congo, insalubrity and pollution caused by plastic waste are on the increase, yet the collection and recycling of plastic waste remains non-existent. Between the overproduction of waste, recycling problems and the pollution of natural areas, plastic is harmful, that's a fact. What's more, it takes a very long time to decompose, from 450 years to thousands of years. Plastic bags and bottles in particular can take up to 1,000 years to degrade in nature. And plastic's impact on the environment doesn't stop there.
So, what are the alternatives to plastic waste?
To reduce the environmental impact of plastic and its impact on our health, there are a number of alternatives, including "Recycling and processing plastic waste".
Ecological consequences give a direct impact of substances, but also prevent indirectly from waste incineration or landfill.
On the environmental side :
Human-induced pollution can have a major impact on health and the biosphere, as evidenced by exposure to pollutants and global warming, which is transforming the Earth's climate and ecosystems. Environmental concerns are driving governments to take measures to limit the ecological footprint of human populations and to counter contaminating human activities.
Types of pollution :
I. Air pollution: caused by so-called atmospheric pollutants: exhaust fumes from factories.
II. Soil pollution often of industrial or agricultural origin: energy and pesticide use .....
III. Water pollution resulting from wastewater contamination.
The consequences of pollution :
1) Deterioration of landscape and heritage
2) Damage to the ozone layer
3) Greenhouse effect
4) Human diseases due to the environment
GOOD TO KNOW!!!
1 TONNE OF RECYCLED FART IS :
2 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided (equivalent to driving for 3 days without stopping)
610 Kg (about 800 liters) of crude oil saved, equivalent to the average annual consumption of a single inhabitant.
10,960 Kw/H unused (equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of a 200 m² house)
What impact does plastic waste have on nature?
Plastics take more than four centuries to degrade, contaminating the entire food chain. Every year, up to 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, because it cannot be recycled.
The top ten plastic wastes collected in the marine environment worldwide in 2017 were cigarette butts, plastic fragments, bottles, food packaging, polystyrene fragments, plastic bags, fishing tackle, bottle caps, cotton buds and lollipop sticks.
Today, 150 million tonnes of plastic are in the ocean, according to WWF. Scientists even speak of a "seventh plastic continent", referring to a floating landfill in the Pacific Ocean.
Ingestion of plastic waste also kills marine animals. Forty kilograms of plastic were recently found in the belly of a whale in the Philippines. Unable to feed, due to a stomach full of bags, the cetacean could not be saved.
In 2018, the United Nations Environment Programme placed the issue of plastic in the ocean among the six environmental emergencies of greatest concern.