[ad_1]
For years, unrecycled plastic bottles have been dumped in landfills. Now, due to new analysis from UBC Okanagan, these bottles could have a second life in that landfill — stabilizing its earth partitions.
Used plastic bottles and textiles pose an rising downside for landfills worldwide. Researchers say almost 100 million metric tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), also referred to as microplastics, are produced globally annually — with a fraction of that quantity being recycled — making it one of many largest sources of plastic waste.
“A technique we will handle plastic waste is thru integrating it into geotechnical building,” explains doctoral scholar Alok Chandra. “By discovering new methods to make use of these discarded plastics, we will divert them from landfills and use them to stabilize cowl supplies inside landfills.”
Chandra and his supervisor, UBCO Engineering Professor Dr. Sumi Siddiqua, have developed a brand new methodology of incorporating PET waste into clay soil stabilization.
“Because of its nontoxicity, low biodegradability and accessibility, it reveals appreciable potential to be used in landfill designs. Nevertheless, a substantial quantity of analysis remains to be required,” says Dr. Siddiqua. “This not solely solves the strong waste downside but in addition will increase the financial worth of waste and encourages its re-circulation again from already polluted lands and oceans.”
The examine suggests the reused materials strengthens the soil and serves as a water resistant layer that can preserve pollution reminiscent of lead from escaping the landfill.
“Our outcomes present nice potential, however there’s nonetheless some work to be completed earlier than we’ll combine the PET waste into landfill soil stabilization administration,” says Chandra.
The analysis is revealed within the journal Waste Administration and funded by the Pure Sciences and Engineering Analysis Council of Canada Discovery Grants Program.
[ad_2]
Source link
