Plastic recycling: Innovation in recycling

Nations have been examining more environmentally friendly lifestyles and ways to protect their environments from the risks of human activity. 

Plastics are a concern and a danger to the environment. Even though this may be a global issue, Ghana’s usage of plastics is across sectors.

Recycling

Recycling plastic has a variety of advantages including lowering the quantity of garbage dumped in landfills, conserving natural resources and minimising greenhouse gas emissions.

Sorting plastics is one of the main obstacles to recycling because if not sorted out well and carefully separated, it can ruin all batches, as plastics have different textures, colours and melting points.

Cleaning the plastic trash is a crucial component in plastic recycling.

This entails getting rid of any impurities like food crumbs or dirt.

Global output

Globally, plastic output has increased to 8.4 per cent annually since 1950; plastic manufacturing is expected to exceed 0.50 billion tonnes in 2025, with a record of 0.36 billion tons in 2018.

Plastic comes in various forms such as Polyethylene(PE),Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC),Polyurethane(PUR),Polystyrene(PS) among others.

Ghana generates approximately 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year and only approximately 9.5 per cent of that is collected for recycling.

The plastic waste generation is due primarily to the demerit of the packaging sector, and the he considerable amount of disposable items made.

Eight

Each year, the ocean receives eight million tonnes of plastic debris swept into it from land by people. Recycling is a good alternative to reduce plastic waste.

Environmental care is a common obligation.

The threat of plastic trash is worrying. In a few decades, there may be more plastics in the ocean than fish, given the current rate of plastic pollution.

Any effort to stop plastic pollution in the ecosystem and ocean must be supported.

The improper disposal of plastic waste has resulted in several environmental hazards within Accra and the country at large.

Plastic recycling is important to save our planet.

We have seen the devastating effects of plastic pollution on our oceans and wildlife.

Every plastic we recycle is a step towards a greener future.

Let’s raise awareness and engage in advocacy for systemic changes that prioritise sustainability and the well-being of our planet.

The writer is a Level 300 student;
University of Media, Arts and Communication,
Ghana Institue of Journalism.