(QuatzAfrica, 2018)

Although numerous worldwide efforts to build awareness against the usage of plastic bags and their horrible effects on our environment are there, we still find them contaminating land and water areas.

Nevertheless, there have been some breakthrough advancements that have been altering the dynamic forces of recycling plastic bags. Here are 3 innovations whose impact should be promulgated far and wide to combat the hazardous effects of waste generated from plastic bags:

1. Plasfuels Reloaded...get it!?

The first up on my list is a technological invention that has been effectively using plastic bags to produce various types of fuels (Mavropoulos, 2017). The plastic waste are heated in an environmentally oxygen free space, it is then melted and vapourised into gasses. The gasses undergo cooling and condensation processes which turn them into assorted products (Mavropoulos, 2017).

What´s great about this "plastic-to-fuel" technologies are that they don?t use combustion. Various fuels such as diesel, gasoline, synthetic crude or refined fuels for residential usage, etc., can be obtained by employing specific technologies. Thus, the fuels obtained are beneficial in powering anything from cars to planes (Mavropoulos, 2017). Moreover, they are more environment-friendly as compared to their traditional counter parts, because plastics have low sulfur content. Communities situated on islands and near tourist places known for beaches can especially benefit from this innovative manner of recycling plastic bags (Mavropoulos, 2017). It can aid them combat the high prices of traditionally produced fuels and lesser landfill options, by enabling them to produce fuel locally (Mavropoulos, 2017).

2. Roads which Lead to a Better Tomorrow

Imagine if plastic waste could be used to create roads, yes I said it, ROADS! Well, now there is such an invention where a variety of plastic waste such as carry bags, packing material of chocolates, chips and biscuits is shredded with the help of a shredding machine and is processed with bituminous mixes (Mavropoulos, 2017). The finished product, the mix, is then utilized for constructing roads which are eco-friendly and durable. Besides, no toxic gasses are released, thus, making the process of construction also environmentally friendly (Mavropoulos, 2017).

3. Laying the Foundation for the Future

A nifty way has been established to reuse plastic for making concrete bricks. Plastic which otherwise would land up in Refuse dumps is granulated and blended with cement mix, and the concrete made from this environment-friendly mixture has analogous strength to its traditional counterpart (Mavropoulos, 2017). This concrete is then used to create bricks. The process guarantees that the plastic does not need to be recycled or dumped in landfills, and eliminates financial and environmental expense of traditionally mined virgin aggregate (Mavropoulos, 2017).

Innovations such as these are mostly replete with the exciting possibilities of application in various fields. However, only dedicated and continual work to explore and expand more innovations such as the ones mentioned can ensure waste plastic bags don´t choke the existence of mankind. 

Reference List:

Mavropoulos,. A. 2017. Wasteless Future Antonio Mavropoulos: Five Impactful Innovations for Plastic Bag Recycling. [Online]. Available:

https://wastelessfuture.com/five-impactful-innovations-for-plastic-bag-recycling/. May 27, 2017. Accessed: 07 June 2018.

Images: 

QuartzAfrica. 2018. [online]. Available: https://qz.com/. June 6, 2018. Accessed: 07 June 2018.

 

The Sacred Movement Healing the Planet. 2018. [online]. Available: https://upliftconnect.com/the-sacred-movement-healing-the-planet/. May 3, 2018. June 6, 2018. Accessed: 07 June 2018. (Cover page).