Abstract

Global plastic waste generation is about 300 million metric tons annually and poses crucial health and environmental problems. Africa is the second most polluted continent in the world, with over 500 shipping containers of waste being imported every month. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report suggests that about 75% of this plastic waste ends up in landfills. However, landfills management is associated with high environmental costs and loss of energy. In addition, landfill leachates end up in water bodies, are very detrimental to human health, and poison marine ecosystems. Therefore, it is imperative to explore eco-friendly techniques to transform plastic waste into valuable products in a sustainable environment. The trade-offs of using plastic waste for road construction and as a component in cementitious composites are discussed. The challenges and benefits of producing liquid fuels from plastic waste are also addressed. The recycling of plastic waste to liquid end-products was found to be a sustainable way of helping the environment with beneficial economic impact.

Details

Title
The production of valuable products and fuel from plastic waste in Africa
Author
Amankwa, M. Opoku 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Tetteh, E. Kweinor 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mohale, G. Thabang 3 ; Dagba, G. 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Opoku, P. 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Punjabi University, Department of Public Administration, Patiala, India (GRID:grid.412580.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 1270); Punjabi University, Department of Public Administration, Patiala, India (GRID:grid.412580.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 1270) 
2  Durban University of Technology, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Department of Chemical Engineering, Durban, South Africa (GRID:grid.412114.3) (ISNI:0000 0000 9360 9165) 
3  Punjabi University, Department of Public Administration, Patiala, India (GRID:grid.412580.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 1270); Punjabi University, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Patiala, India (GRID:grid.412580.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 1270) 
4  Punjabi University, Department of Public Administration, Patiala, India (GRID:grid.412580.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 1270); Punjabi University, Department of Political Science, Patiala, India (GRID:grid.412580.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 1270) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Dec 2021
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
e-ISSN
26629984
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-021-00040-z
ProQuest document ID
2730345338
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.