MSGID: 1:317/3 62720181   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Lost value of landfilled plastic in US    
      
     Date:   
         May 3, 2022   
     Source:   
         DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory   
     Summary:   
         With mountains of plastic waste piling up in landfills and   
         scientists estimating that there will be more plastics by weight   
         than fish in the ocean by 2050, the growing environmental challenge   
         presented to the world by plastics is well understood. What is   
         less well understood by the scientific community is the lost energy   
         opportunity. In short, plastic waste is also energy wasted.   
      
      
      
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   With mountains of plastic waste piling up in landfills and scientists   
   estimating that there will be more plastics by weight than fish in   
   the ocean by 2050, the growing environmental challenge presented to   
   the world by plastics is well understood. What is less well understood   
   by the scientific community is the lost energy opportunity. In short,   
   plastic waste is also energy wasted.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable   
   Energy Laboratory (NREL) calculated the energy value of landfilled plastic   
   waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's   
   transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector.   
      
   They also provided a look at how much plastic waste has been deposited   
   in landfills, on a regional, state, and county level, and the problem is   
   bigger than previously believed. NREL estimates the amount of plastic   
   waste in the United States is 44 million metric tons. Using a slightly   
   different methodology, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency puts   
   the figure at 32.2 million metric tons.   
      
   "For us to tackle plastic waste pollution, we really need to   
   understand better where those resources are," said Anelia Milbrandt,   
   a senior research analyst at NREL and co-author of a new paper,   
   "Quantification and evaluation of plastic waste in the United States,"   
   published in the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling. "We   
   would like to bring awareness to communities about the potential for   
   these materials."  Her NREL co-authors are Kamyria Coney, Alex Badgett,   
   and Gregg Beckham. A senior research fellow, Beckham heads the BOTTLE   
   Consortium, a collaborative launched last year in an effort to address   
   the waste-plastics problem.   
      
   By identifying areas with large quantities of plastic waste, the   
   scientists are hoping to highlight the economic opportunities that could   
   arise by recovering their value through different processes. Only about 5%   
   of the waste plastic in the United States was recycled in 2019, while 86%   
   was left in landfills. The rest was burned to generate electricity.   
      
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   NREL's analysis of the discarded plastics examined seven materials --   
   variously used to make bottles, CDs, milk jugs, take-out containers,   
   and bags, among other items. Communities across the country spent about   
   $2.3 billion on plastic waste disposal in 2019.   
      
   The researchers noted the amount of landfilled plastic waste in the United   
   States has been increasing because of several factors, including low   
   recycling rates, population growth, consumer preference for single-use   
   plastics, and low disposal fees in certain parts of the country. The   
   problem has been exacerbated by China's refusal beginning in 2017 to   
   import nonindustrial plastic waste from the United States.   
      
   Developing new recycling techniques for plastics would create incentives   
   for a circular economy, where what once was discarded would be reused   
   instead of virgin plastics. The market value of landfilled plastic   
   ranges from $4.5 billion to $9.9 billion, or $7.2 billion on average,   
   the researchers estimated.   
      
   The embodied energy in the waste plastic -- an indicator of how much   
   energy it took to manufacture the materials -- equates to about 12%   
   of the country's energy consumption by the industrial sector.   
      
   Some types of plastic are separated and recycled, chiefly polyethylene   
   terephthalate (commonly known as PET), used to make soda bottles; and   
   high- density polyethylene, used for milk jugs and shampoo bottles,   
   but these still represent a significant percentage of plastics found   
   in landfills.   
      
   The filmy plastic used for bags is among the most prevalent type found   
   in landfills.   
      
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   The researchers pointed out two possible solutions for the plastics not   
   being recycled: Develop new products that rely on these plastics to   
   encourage their sorting and collection, and develop advanced sorting   
   technologies that could eventually lead to increased use of recycled   
   materials.   
      
   "I'm hoping this paper also increases awareness for industry and investors   
   to look for opportunities," Milbrandt said.   
      
   The amount of plastic waste correlates with population size. California,   
   Texas, and Florida are the three most populous states and also have the   
   largest amount of landfilled plastic waste. New York, however, is fourth   
   for population, but it ships much of its waste outside of the state.   
      
   "Plastic waste is not just an environmental issue. It's a waste management   
   issue. It's also a land use issue because landfills are closing in many   
   areas," Milbrandt said. "What do we do with all that waste? It has to   
   go somewhere. I believe local governments and industry developers will   
   see a benefit of this report by providing them information to support   
   decisions."  DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office funded the research.   
      
   NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for   
   renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL   
   is operated for the Energy Department by the Alliance for Sustainable   
   Energy, LLC.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   DOE/National_Renewable_Energy_Laboratory. Note: Content may be edited   
   for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Anelia Milbrandt, Kamyria Coney, Alex Badgett, Gregg T. Beckham.   
      
         Quantification and evaluation of plastic waste in the United States.   
      
         Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2022; 183: 106363 DOI:   
         10.1016/ j.resconrec.2022.106363   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220503141316.htm   
      
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