Framework to mitigate plastic pollution

Through the development of the framework proposed is possible to reduce waste generation and plastic pollution according to better practices in different similar cities and regulatory compliance. Therefore, the research contributes to the understanding and importance and benefits of effective waste management.

Effective waste management contributes to helping to create a sustainable culture in Adelaide and reduce the environmental impact.

Australia National waste report 2018 mention: "About 2.5 Mt or 103 kg per capita of plastic waste generated in 2016-17. Just 12% recycled with 87% sent to landfill and 1% sent to an energy from the waste facility".

According to Earthday.org (2018), there are billions and billions of plastic debris in oceans, lakes and rivers which harm plants and wildlife. Currently, these are the main events that lead to the continuous pollution of the oceans; around 8 million metric tons of plastic are thrown into the ocean each year. Of these, 236,000 tons are microplastic: small pieces of broken plastic smaller than the small nail.

A recent study (The New Plastics Economy, 2017) has shown that every minute a plastic garbage truck is discharging into our oceans and the prediction is that the amount of plastic in the ocean will multiply by ten by 2020. By 2050 there will be more weight plastic in the oceans than fish. 

The expected outcome of this project is to reduce plastic pollution through effective waste management in the city of Adelaide according to better practices in developed and developing cities of the world, and regulatory compliance.

Additionally, the research provided a better understanding of the current problems in waste management regarding plastic packaging consumption and waste generation. The study aims to provide an explication concerning waste management system in developed and developing cities.

Through the development of the plastic waste management framework proposed is possible to reduce waste generation and packaging plastic pollution according to better practices. The research analyses the waste management implemented in developed and developing cities and regulatory compliance. Therefore, the research contributes to the understanding and importance and benefits of effective waste management.

This research focuses on the background of the issue, describes the current state of the problem, followed by some of the consequences of packaging plastic pollution, which will affect upcoming generations.

This research and framework include analysis and recommendations regarding:

- Legislations

- Packaging plastic waste production

- Effective waste management

- Recycling and disposal system

- Culture and Education

The aim of the study is the propose a framework to mitigate plastic packaging pollution through and effective waste management in the City of Adelaide. The aim is into two components:

• Provide an analysis of the principal factors that contribute to plastic pollution in the city of Adelaide.
• Provide a proposal for a Framework to reduce packaging plastic pollution in the city of Adelaide.

The expected benefits of the research are: Firstly, through the development of the framework proposed is possible to reduce waste generation and plastic pollution according to better practices and regulatory compliance. Therefore, the research contributes to the understanding and importance a benefit of effective waste management.

Furthermore, effective waste management contributes to helping to create a sustainable culture in Adelaide and reduce the environmental impact.

Finally, this research includes analysis and recommendations regarding; legislations, culture and education for involving people, production responsibility, recycling system and effective waste management.

Preserve ecosystem, According to the National Australia Waste Report (2018), Australia produces more waste than the average relative to many other developed economies, and the amount it recycles is significantly less than the average. About 2.5 Mt or 103 kg per capita of plastic waste generated in 2016-17. Just 12% recycled with 87% sent to landfill and 1% sent to an energy from the waste facility".

The type of research will be carried out by research and observing the practices that suburbs perform in the development of activities that involve recycling, waste generation and disposal.

For support and evidence of this thesis, a follow-up was carried out during the months of August, September and October of 2020 in an educational building located in the city. In which the lack of education of the members of the institution on recycling issues were analyzed since in the three bins of garbage are mixed all kinds of waste without a corresponding separation.

It is also identified that at the end of the trash process, the three types of waste disposal at a single point. With this, it can be concluded that, from the first stage of recycling, people do not yet consent to the importance of taking care of the planet.

The expected benefits of the research are: Firstly, through the development of the framework proposed is possible to reduce waste generation and plastic pollution according to better practices and regulatory compliance. Therefore, the research contributes to the understanding and importance a benefit of effective waste management.

The type of research will be carried out by research and observing the practices that suburbs perform in the development of activities that involve recycling, waste generation and disposal.

Furthermore, effective waste management contributes to helping to create a sustainable culture in Adelaide and reduce the environmental impact.

Finally, this research includes analysis and recommendations regarding; legislations, culture and education for involving people, production responsibility, recycling system and effective waste management.

This study is aimed at developing a framework to mitigate plastic packaging pollution in the City of Adelaide (Population: 1.377 million (2020)), proposing a practical model, easy to understand and with a vision achievable in the short and long term.

This is an individual project made by me in the Masters of Engineer Management of the University of South Australia.

To fulfil the requirements of the project aim and research study, information and theories of various works of literature and journals regarding waste management in developed and developing countries are considered for the definition of the framework.

The type of research will be carried out by research and observing the practices that suburbs perform in the development of activities that involve recycling, waste generation and disposal in the City of Adelaide.

As quantitive data, organisational and governmental reports were useful for this research. There are reliable resources provide by the Council of Adelaide and Green Industries SA.

• Waste report 2018 Adelaide
• Recycling activity survey Adelaide
• Kerbside waste report
• Environment Report 2018 SA
• National Waste Policy
• National Waste Data Cycle 2017-2019
• Waste Management Action Plan 2011 – 2015

It is possible to monitor by measurable indicators  like:

Key Performance Indicators

Closed-loop

Life Cycle

It is a Thesis project created by me during the Masters of Engineer Management.

I am a creative and resourceful industrial engineer with four years of experience in risk and process management according to international standards. My knowledge in engineering management and skills in KPI, sustainability, lean six-sigma and life cycle guarantee continuous improvement.

I can develop engineer research projects, and I am interested in circular economy and sustainable practices to create a better environmental world. I am an active member of sustainable and circular economy networks and groups.

I have done a Master of Engineer management at the University of South Australia.

PROJECTS AND RESEARCH

• Economy and life cycle assessment of reusable food package initiation at the household level. Research Paper - The University of South Australia (current)
• Effective waste management in the City of Adelaide: a framework to mitigate plastic pollution. Research Thesis Project - University of South Australia
• Risk factors in work at heights regarding safe work standards and regulatory compliance. Graduate Project – Javeriana University 

Policymakers must be made producers responsible for the packaging waste they developed. Single-use plastic is the best option by industry and waste costs are dependent on the weight of a product that companies make, therefore, the lighter it is, the less money that has to be paid by manufacturers.

Legislations of any product that has a total organic carbon emission rate of more than 5% is recommended to banned, which in effect prevents any packaging from ending up in the ground.

One of the keys to the recycling system in one country is hailed by many as one of the best in the world, is due to its “polluter pays” policy – in which households and businesses pay for any non-recycling waste they produce. Alongside this policy, bin bags for landfill waste are also taxed."          

Legislations like Germany, Austria operates a producer responsibility model. The most well-known of the companies running these systems in the country is Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA).

The principal conclusions of the implementation of the framework are:

• The implementation of a new plastic container can be used to mitigate plastic pollution and improve recycling rates.
• Is essential to understand that the principal idea is to reduce and reuse plastic and try to avoid single-use plastic.
• A Framework with different pillars must be implemented to reduce plastic pollution is not only production and recycling responsibility.
• The framework can de adapt to implementation in different Cities depend on the current situation

I would like to help the planet by reducing plastic pollution, due to plastics are a critical pollutant around the world. 

Governmental Directives:

There are many laws and policies for waste management; governments and organisations create them. One of the points to take into account Is the enforcement of rules and regulations, which is just as important as waste management itself (Shekdar 2009). Srivastava and Sushil (2015) assure that waste management execution is a critical part of policies and governance. Implementation in waste management has the purpose of generating excellent financial support and the creation of specific systems in an organisation.

Culture and Education - Research and development

An integral part of waste management requires severe research and development. These two concepts show an excellent way of managing besides the need to create new processes and technological innovation in an organisation (Yuan and Shen 2011; Ion and Gheorghe 2014).

MIT University - Circular Economy.

Sustainable organizations

The expected benefits of the research are: Firstly, through the development of the framework proposed is possible to reduce waste generation and plastic pollution according to better practices and regulatory compliance. Therefore, the research contributes to the understanding and importance a benefit of effective waste management.

The type of research will be carried out by research and observing the practices that suburbs perform in the development of activities that involve recycling, waste generation and disposal.

Furthermore, effective waste management contributes to helping to create a sustainable culture in Adelaide and reduce the environmental impact.

Finally, this research includes analysis and recommendations regarding; legislations, culture and education for involving people, production responsibility, recycling system and effective waste management.