* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Placer County town of Loomis considers entertainment zone for downtown – CBS News

    Loomis Unveils Thrilling New Entertainment Zone to Revitalize Downtown

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

    Elmira’s New Entertainment Venue ‘Centertown Social’ Adding its Final Touches – WENY News

    Elmira’s New Entertainment Venue ‘Centertown Social’ Adding its Final Touches – WENY News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 Technology Stocks to Buy Now – Yahoo Finance

    3 Must-Buy Tech Stocks You Can’t Afford to Miss Right Now

    ‘New frontier’: Austin leaders start discussions on air taxi technology – KXAN Austin

    Austin Leaders Ignite Exciting Conversations on the Future of Air Taxi Technology

    How a Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway – blog.google

    How a Gemma Model Revealed a Breakthrough Pathway for Cancer Treatment

    Italian Technology in Manufacturing: Supporting North American Industries and Keeping Production Local – Thomasnet

    How Italian Technology is Revolutionizing North American Manufacturing and Boosting Local Production

    Guide to Proteomics Project Planning: Sample Preparation Strategies – Technology Networks

    Guide to Proteomics Project Planning: Sample Preparation Strategies – Technology Networks

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Placer County town of Loomis considers entertainment zone for downtown – CBS News

    Loomis Unveils Thrilling New Entertainment Zone to Revitalize Downtown

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

    Elmira’s New Entertainment Venue ‘Centertown Social’ Adding its Final Touches – WENY News

    Elmira’s New Entertainment Venue ‘Centertown Social’ Adding its Final Touches – WENY News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 Technology Stocks to Buy Now – Yahoo Finance

    3 Must-Buy Tech Stocks You Can’t Afford to Miss Right Now

    ‘New frontier’: Austin leaders start discussions on air taxi technology – KXAN Austin

    Austin Leaders Ignite Exciting Conversations on the Future of Air Taxi Technology

    How a Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway – blog.google

    How a Gemma Model Revealed a Breakthrough Pathway for Cancer Treatment

    Italian Technology in Manufacturing: Supporting North American Industries and Keeping Production Local – Thomasnet

    How Italian Technology is Revolutionizing North American Manufacturing and Boosting Local Production

    Guide to Proteomics Project Planning: Sample Preparation Strategies – Technology Networks

    Guide to Proteomics Project Planning: Sample Preparation Strategies – Technology Networks

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Why recycling plastic is not a quick fix

March 11, 2024
in Science
Why recycling plastic is not a quick fix
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Recycling plastic is not a quick fix

Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04851

Considering the climate crisis and worldwide plastic pollution, many people believe that recycling materials, in particular plastic, is the solution to our problems. Recycling can reduce resource use, prevent waste and reduce CO2 emissions. It is an important cornerstone of the circular economy. But while some materials are relatively simple to recycle, recycling plastics involves a complex conflict of objectives.

It is particularly important to recycle fossil-based plastics rather than incinerating them (thermal recycling) or dumping them in the environment after they have been used once. In many municipalities in Switzerland, we can dispose of our plastic waste—or to describe it more accurately, our mixed household plastics—in one of the many collection bags for plastics, so that it can then be sorted by machine and recycled.

However, the recycling process soon reaches its limits. Mechanical recycling is most useful in environmental terms when the recycled material replaces as much primary material as possible. This means that the CO2 emissions from production and incineration can be avoided and the plastic does not make its way into landfill or into the environment. But replacement of new plastics requires high-quality recycled material—and this is precisely where the problem lies.

Chemicals can disrupt the recycling process

It is important to be aware that we produce and use a huge variety of different plastics. They consist of polymer chains that are made up of repeating monomer units and, depending on their intended purpose, contain many additional chemicals, including stabilizers, plasticizers and flame retardants, which give the plastics the necessary properties. In a report for the UN Environment Program, we identified up to 13,000 chemicals used in plastics. Many of these substances are potentially harmful to human health and to the environment. Nevertheless, in some cases they are not adequately regulated.

The huge number of plastics and additives often reduces the quality of the recycled material and, in practice, makes recycling difficult or impossible. As a result, it is not very helpful for us to collect more and more plastic waste if many plastic products cannot be manufactured from the resulting recycled material but only from new materials.

A more serious problem is that long-lasting plastic products often contain additives that we now know are harmful to human health and the environment. If the recycling of these plastics is not carefully managed, it may result in regulated chemicals remaining in circulation for longer, rather than being removed from the cycle.

The downside of our colorful plastic world

In contrast to the case of foods, for example, manufacturers of plastics rarely have to declare their formulations and ingredients. This means that we do not know what most plastic products contain and whether they can be safely recycled. This is where my research comes in. As a chemist, I am attempting to identify what plastics are made of and whether they are recyclable.

For example, as part of a study published in Environmental Science & Technology, we recently worked with colleagues from other Swiss universities to investigate plastic floor coverings made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is an important plastic in the construction industry that is often recycled (recycling rate: 16%). In the study, we tested 151 new PVC floorings for heavy metals, plasticizers and other chemicals. All tested products were new and had been purchased in Switzerland.

The results of the study surprised us. In 24 of the new floor coverings (16%), we found harmful additives that had long since been banned, such as lead used as a stabilizer and the plasticizer DEHP, an ortho‑phthalate. The use of both lead and DEHP in new materials was banned in the EU and in Switzerland because of health hazards. The fact that these substances can still be be found in new floor coverings is, in our view, most likely due to contaminated recycled PVC.

Another 29% of the floor coverings contained other ortho‑phthalates as plasticizers that are still authorized for use but are also substances of concern. Some phthalates are suspected of being endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic and have been linked to a wide variety of medical conditions.

PVC floorings have long since been assumed to be a major source of hazardous chemicals in building interiors because they release plasticisers. Despite this, we know little about their chemical composition.

How can we resolve this problem?

This example shows how the wide variety of different chemicals in plastics and the lack of transparency about them causes problems for the circular economy and potentially puts people and the environment at risk.

In the future, we need to find ways of recycling PVC flooring materials sustainably, without causing harm to human health. This requires stricter controls and processes to remove harmful chemicals from recycled PVC products. Practical methods for detecting phthalate plasticizers in plastics have already been developed and these need to be integrated into the recycling system.

But we do not have any quick and simple detection methods for other chemicals. In this case, fast and simple analytics for other plastic types and chemicals are needed and, in particular, the manufacturing processes must also be adapted.

If we want to replace more new materials in future, we need higher-quality recycled materials. In practice, this primarily means a reduction in the number of different plastics and chemicals used, a more standardized approach to material design that takes recycling into account from the start and greater transparency in the supply chain.

More information:
Helene Wiesinger et al, Legacy and Emerging Plasticizers and Stabilizers in PVC Floorings and Implications for Recycling, Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04851

Citation:
Why recycling plastic is not a quick fix (2024, March 9)
retrieved 11 March 2024
from https://phys.org/news/2024-03-recycling-plastic-quick.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2024-03-recycling-plastic-quick.html

Tags: ‘recyclingPlasticscience
Previous Post

Rain scrubs first day of Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals at Nakkertok

Next Post

How trustworthy is your dog’s DNA test?

The lover’s guide to the 2025 World Series – The New York Times

Your Ultimate Lover’s Guide to the 2025 World Series

October 21, 2025
Rethinking Growth In A Broadening Economy – Seeking Alpha

Unlocking Success: New Insights for Thriving in a Booming Economy

October 21, 2025
Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

October 21, 2025
Study suggests earlier start of hormone therapy optimizes long-term health outcomes – News-Medical

Starting Hormone Therapy Sooner May Boost Long-Term Health Benefits

October 21, 2025
Some States With Democratic Governors Are Posting Partisan Shutdown Messages on Official Websites – The New York Times

Some States with Democratic Governors Feature Partisan Shutdown Messages on Official Websites

October 21, 2025
Revisiting Pope Francis’ Call for ‘Ecological Conversion’ – Sojourners

Pope Francis’ Powerful Appeal for a Global Ecological Awakening

October 21, 2025
PJSB donates $50,000 for UACCM Nursing and Science Center – KVOM

PJSB donates $50,000 for UACCM Nursing and Science Center – KVOM

October 21, 2025
An update from Riane Eisler, author of “The Chalice and the Blade,” on achieving peace. – Psychology Today

An update from Riane Eisler, author of “The Chalice and the Blade,” on achieving peace. – Psychology Today

October 21, 2025
We live in a sailboat and travel the world full-time… but our lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as you’d think – Daily Mail

Living Full-Time on a Sailboat and Traveling the World: The Reality Behind the Glamour

October 21, 2025
3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

October 21, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (878)
  • Economy (900)
  • Entertainment (21,771)
  • General (17,718)
  • Health (9,941)
  • Lifestyle (912)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (900)
  • Politics (910)
  • Science (16,110)
  • Sports (21,399)
  • Technology (15,879)
  • World (883)

Recent News

The lover’s guide to the 2025 World Series – The New York Times

Your Ultimate Lover’s Guide to the 2025 World Series

October 21, 2025
Rethinking Growth In A Broadening Economy – Seeking Alpha

Unlocking Success: New Insights for Thriving in a Booming Economy

October 21, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version