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Plastics are an increasingly important component of urban solid waste. The disposal of waste materials, such as used plastic bags, has become a major issue. The vast amount of waste plastic bags collected in the twenty-first century has posed significant challenges for their disposal. The amount of waste plastic in the home is substantial and growing. Our results indicate cement blocks are ideal for laying and finishing pathways and streets because they are easy to lay and finish. This study was carried out on experimenting the substitute materials in the mixture of cement blocks a component of building materials which is normally manufactured using the mixture of cement, fine aggregate and water, following a certain ratio. A series of three different percentages of plastics bags were added with the mix and certain quantities were replaced by quarry dust instead of Fine aggregate. Tests were done on the blocks to study its compressive strength, split tensile strength the water absorption percentage and acid test. Both the test compressive and split tensile tests were conducted on the seventh and 28th day. Based on the results acquired, for compressive strength tests on the 28th day, the result a good indication is that the blocks can be produced by replacing the cement and fine aggregate with utilizing the plastic for and effective way of 1:1 and 1:2, with 10& 20% replacing with quarry dust having strength 10.7 and 9.5 N/mm2 respectively Which is 165 more than the conventional type of blocks. Similarly the water percentage is also nil and very marginal in the same proportions. The decrease in weight is existed in all the samples tested the result is equal in all mix compositions. This is uniform rate implies block undergo certain abrasion. Conclusions were drawn for utilising the above composition in a suitable non structured places and minimizing the plastic waste.

The paper presents the research results of the survival rate of willow planting material depending on the storage methods and varietal peculiarities. The studies of the storage methods of planting material and their effect on the survival rate of cuttings and shoots were carried out in the years of 2019-2021 in the experimental field of the Institute of bio-energy crops and sugar beets, Ukraine. Two willow (Salix spp.) species: three-stamina variety Panfilivska and common willow variety Zbruch, were studied. Rot-affected cuttings and shoots as well as the number of the sprouted ones were monitored during the period of their placing in the storage till their planting in the field. It was found that both cuttings and shoots stored well in all treatments. During the storage, a small number of sprouted cuttings and disease - affected ones were recorded. Rot - affected cuttings and shoots of both varieties were recorded only when they were stored in plastic bags both with and without lime treatment of incisions. Rot - affected planting material was not recorded when other storage methods were used. It was established that during the storage moisture losses in cuttings and shoots of both varieties were not seen on any record date and as far as the content of nutrition elements (NPK) is concerned, there was a decreasing tendency. It was found that the survival rate of planting material depended on both variety peculiarities and its species, and it was high even on the first record date. Common willow variety Zbruch had the highest percentage of survival rate of cuttings and shoots as compared with the three-stamina variety Panfilivska. All storage methods of cuttings and shoots at air temperature 3-5°C ensure their good shelf-life with small damages caused by disease and slight germination in some years. The survival rate of planting material depended on both varietal peculiarities and its species. The highest percentage of survival rate of cuttings and shoots was typical for common willow variety Zbruch as compared with three-stamina variety Panfilivska.

Single-use bags have been restricted or banned in various parts of the world. The exploration of substitute alternatives such as reusable and biodegradable bags, and the use of other materials such as paper and cotton have been required. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the most widely accepted tool by the scientific community to make an environmental comparative study between different alternatives. In this study, the literature regarding LCA of bags was reviewed in order to find common conclusions, and a methodological guide for future studies. For each study, the type of bags considered, end of life treatments, the functional unit, the Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods, system boundaries, data used, locations and the results of the calculated environmental impacts are described and compared. Although some differences exist among the studies, in most analyses, reusable plastic bags are identified as the lower environmental impact alternative when enough reuses are considered. On average, the climate change index of reusable bags is equal to 27% of the value of the alternative with the highest impact in each study. For the end-of-life treatment scenarios, reuse and recycling show greater environmental benefits compared to composting, landfilling or incinerating, regardless of energy recovery. Open challenges are discussed, where several authors agree with the requirement of the development of a new index to quantify the consequences of plastic leakage into the environment.

With the massive use of plastic products, plastic pollution has increasingly attracted worldwide attention. To deal with the problem of plastic pollution, the Chinese government issued the “Opinions on Further Strengthening the Control of Plastic Pollution” (Abbreviated as OFSCPP), which is known as “plastic restriction policy” by the public, in January 2020. It stipulates the timetable and main tasks for restricting the production, sales, and use of certain plastic products, such as plastic bags, disposable straws and agricultural mulch. Since the policy was officially implemented on January 1, 2021, people’s lives in China have been considerably affected, and it has also attracted widespread attention from news media. In this study, 310 pieces of news items and information about the OFSCPP published in the first quarter of 2021 from the Baidu News website from which 44, 94, 90, 26, and 49 statements from producers, retailers, consumers, managers, and experts were extracted. The extracted words and expressions were then analyzed using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic model. Text analysis results showed that the production efficiency of plastic substitutes in China cannot meet market demand, consumers’ experience on plastic substitutes is poor, and recycling and disposal processing information is opaque. To achieve the policy goals, the government should encourage the innovation of high-quality and inexpensive plastic alternatives, the national standards for plastic substitutes should be urgently improved, consumers’ concept of green consumption should be gradually cultivated, and terminal recycling and disposal should be promoted.

Artykuł dotyczy performatywnych aspektów narracji ekologicznych, rozpatrywanych na przykładzie kulturowego wizerunku foliówki. Plastikowe torby jednorazowego użytku są we współczesnej kulturze symbolem zbiorowych win związanych z rolą tworzyw sztucznych w katastrofie ekologicznej. Na ich percepcję wpływają rozmaite narracje ekologiczne i kampanie społeczne, w których obraz foliówki ma budzić strach, niechęć, złość czy obrzydzenie i utrwalać opinię o plastiku jako nienaturalnym materiale zanieczyszczającym planetę. Skuteczność tych narracji jest ograniczona, skoro plastikowych toreb w środowisku wciąż przybywa. Autorka zastanawia się, czy można wyobrazić sobie inne, mniej antropocentryczne i potencjalnie bardziej skuteczne sposoby nawiązywania relacji z jednorazowym plastikiem. Wykorzystuje metody performatyczne do analizy krótkometrażowego filmu Plastic Bag (reż. Ramin Bahrani, 2009). Interpretację filmu opiera głównie na witalnym materializmie Jane Bennett oraz ciemnej ekologii Timothy’ego Mortona, by ukazać foliówki jako sprawcze byty związane na wiele sposobów z otaczającym je światem, a także zaproponować odmienne spojrzenie na ich potencjalne role w więcej-niż-ludzkich relacjach. This article considers the performative aspects of environmental narratives, based on the example of the cultural image of the plastic bag. In contemporary culture, disposable plastic bags have become a symbol of the collective guilt related to the role of plastics in the environmental catastrophe. Their perception is affected by various environmental narratives and social campaigns, in which the image of a plastic bag is to evoke fear, aversion, anger, or disgust, reinforcing the view of plastic as an unnatural material that pollutes the planet. The effectiveness of these narratives is limited, as the number of plastic bags in the enviroment continues to increase. The author explores the possibility of imagining other, less anthro-pocentric and potentially more effective modes of relating to single-use plastic. She uses performative methods to analyze the short film Plastic Bag (dir. Ramin Bahrani, 2009). Her interpretation draws mainly on Jane Bennett’s concept of vital materialism and Timothy Morton’s dark ecology to focus on the agency of plastic bags in various settings and offer a different perspective on their potential roles in more-than-human relationships.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on reducing visitors at several tourist attractions. One of the affected tourism objects is Prangtritis Beach, which is located in the south of the city of Yogyakarta. This tourist attraction is quite close, about 26 km from the city center so that it attracts local and foreign tourists. In Parangtritis, there are around 200 rental mats that facilitate visitors to relax on the beach. Based on observations, the tenants of the mats had problems with their mats being exposed when the wind was blowing hard. Based on the observations, the tenants of the mats had problems with the mats being exposed when the wind was blowing hard, even though there had been efforts made by the owners of the mats, namely by placing weights on the four corners of the mats. However, by using improvised ballast in the form of chunks of building stone, used bottles or plastic bags filled with sand, mats can be exposed when exposed to the wind and give a dirty impression around the tourist area. To solve this problem, it is necessary to design a mat that is not easily exposed and can help reduce environmental pollution. The method used is participatory qualitative community empowerment with limited access to tourist objects with discussion forums for mat rental groups. Data were collected through surveys and literature studies. The results of the discussion and analysis are in the form of a mat design that is not exposed when the wind blows and has a temporary waste storage feature. Furthermore, the results of the design of the mat are given to the mat craftsmen around Parangtritis to be implemented at tourist sites. The new mat design is expected to increase comfort and become a tourist attraction when the Covid-19 pandemic is conducive.

Kamulyan waste bank is a place to collect the waste from the household around Lowanu Village, Brontokusuman, Mergangsan, Yogyakarta. This waste is distributed to garbage collectors and sorted. Plastic waste that cannot be recycled is used as material for making ecobricks. Ecobricks are materials made from used plastic bottles filled with plastic sachets, plastic bags, and similar materials that are compressed. In making ecobricks, workers perform activities in a sitting position on the floor with both legs folded in and a slightly bent posture. This work attitude causes muscle complaints in the upper and lower neck, upper arm, right elbow, left wrist, and left hand. The purpose of the study was to improve work attitudes to reduce muscle complaints in body parts by designing ergonomic work facilities. This research was conducted with ergonomics intervention on the design of ecobrick plastic compaction work facilities with the Nordic Body Map-VAS Modified Questionnaire. The muscle complaints of the workers' body parts were determined using the Nordic Body Map questionnaire. The results of the study provide a design for compaction of ecobrick plastic materials with dimensions of table length 134.44 cm, table width 66.39 cm, table height 71.63 cm, length of seat mat 41.41 cm, width of seat mat 43.49 cm, height seat 44.51 cm, backrest height 55.5 cm, and backrest width 45.88 cm. Based on the NBM-VAS questionnaire, it shows that the initial condition of pain or pain in the upper neck and lower neck with a moderate pain value is aimed at a scale of 6.5 cm and 7.3 cm to mild pain with a scale of 4.2 cm and 4.3 cm. . Moderate pain in the left wrist and left hand with a scale of 6.1 cm, respectively, to no pain on a scale of 3.1 cm and 3 cm.

Plastic films are abundant, but seldom recycled in the United States (US). It is both economically and operationally challenging to recycle plastic films because their light weight makes accumulating material difficult. Additionally, films are not allowed in most curbside recycling programs in the US because they tangle around equipment used at material recovery facilities (MRFs) and effect a MRFs' ability to effectively sort other materials. As a result, the only recycling pathway for post-consumer plastic films in the US is retail return collection programs. Currently, only the most abundant type of post-consumer plastic film, polyethylene (PE), is accepted by these programs in the US. Although PE films come in many forms, grocery bags are the most well-known, and therefore most abundant, film in the retail return recycling stream. The New York State (NYS) Plastic Bag Waste Reduction Law prohibits the distribution of single use plastic bags. This work explored how ending the distribution of grocery bags impacted retail return recycling programs for PE films in Western New York. We show that a loss of the most recognizable and abundant PE film results in a 1.4 - 2.8x increase in contamination rates, devaluing films that are still collected. As a result, increased contamination rates may threaten the viability of this recycling pathway. The study also provides a complete speciation of this recycling stream with a novel level of detail, as existing research on this recycling pathway is limited.

The amount of waste in Indonesia in 2019 will reach 68 million tons and plastic waste is estimated to reach 9.52 million tons or 14 percent of the total existing waste. (Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia, 2017). In 2018 the total amount of waste in Bekasi Regency reached 152.3 tons per year. The composition of waste from plastic sources ranks first in the type of non-organic waste with a percentage of 9% (Bekasi Regency Environmental Service, 2018). Many impacts are caused by plastic bags on the environment, human health, and marine life. This study was conducted to determine the factors associated with reducing the use of plastic bags in the Bekasi Regency. The study design used was cross-sectional with primary data distributed through a questionnaire. A sample of 319 people, the retrieval is done by simple random sampling technique. Data analysis used chi square test (α = 0.05). Variables related to reducing the use of plastic bags are knowledge (p-value = 0.009 and OR = 0.465) and attitude (p-value = 0.038 and OR = 0.587). While the variables that were not related to the reduction in the use of plastic bags were age (p-value = 0.509), gender (p-value = 0.065), education (p-value = 0.667) and salary (p-value = 0.359). Factors that influence the reduction in the use of plastic bags in the Bekasi Regency are knowledge and attitudes. It is hoped that there will be an increase in the application of plastic bag costs in government policies regarding the plastic bag diet so that the use of plastic bags in the community can be minimized.

The Population explosion has led to excessive consumption and exploitation of natural resources resulting in degradation of the biophysical environment. Many agitations have gained momentum in various parts of the world to protect it from environmental degradation. Many governments have banned the usage of plastics in their endeavor to protect the environment. This descriptive research has attempted to study the greenish pattern of 320 Indian consumers with special reference to their plastic bag usage behavior while carrying their purchases back home. The Results of the study have revealed that customers accord importance to the environmental impact of goods and services before purchasing such goods and they prefer to visit shops that are eco-friendly while they do not attach much importance to the environmental reputation of companies dealing with such goods and services. They prefer green products due to their good quality and reliability and are willing to pay a premium price for such products.

The paper presents the results of surveys of the innovative youth project U-Report for July – August 2021: the attitude of young people to environmental issues and the use of plastic bags, volunteering, conflicts and bullying in social media.

Enormous amounts of plastic wastes are generated worldwide and the approaches related to plastic recycling or reusing have become the research focus in the field of composite materials. In this study, green composites were prepared via melt-blending method using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sourced from plastic bags as a matrix and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fiber as reinforcing filler. The effects of fiber loading (5, 10 and 15 wt%) and fiber modification on the mechanical and dimensional stability (weight gain by water absorption) properties of the green composites were investigated. Results showed that the inclusion of SCB fiber into recycled HDPE matrix increased the composite stiffness but decreased the mechanical strength and resistance to water absorption. With the fiber modification through alkali treatment, the mechanical strength was remarkably improved, and the modulus and water absorption of the composites were found to be reduced. From the finding, it can be concluded that the prepared green composites free of coupling agent could add value to the plastic and agricultural wastes, and serve a potential candidate to replace some conventional petroleum-based composites.

The last decade increasing attention to litter accumulation in the marine environment revealed the issue of the terrestrial fluxes of plastic pollution into the oceans. However, limited studies investigate the macro-litter abundance and composition particularly in freshwater ecosystems and the adjusted coastal environment. In this study, we conducted an empirical analysis of anthropogenic litter (AL) in two freshwater streams and their estuaries of Lesvos island (Greece), strongly affected by the waste mismanagement in the Moria refugee camp. A total of 1,622 litter items were collected from five sites during the field campaign between the 3rd and 6th of June 2019. Among these, artificial polymer items (mainly drink bottles, single-use plastic bags, cutlery, and trays) irrespective of the site location constituted the major part ranging from 46 to 91% of total AL by mass. Drink bottles and plastic cutlery are found in higher percentage at Moria camp river and its estuary, while packaging and bag litter are more abundant at upstream sites. The operation of the camp has increased the AL abundance 13 times more than the reference site, causing severe threat to human health and to freshwater and marine environment. It is therefore important to improve the waste management system at (inter)national (change in production and packaging policy) and local scale (introducing sustainable solutions to refugee camp design) by promoting recycling and circular economy projects to diminish AL pollution.

The study aims to evaluate the use of palm decanter on storability and palatability of pellet rabbit feed. There were four treatments, P0: rabbit pellets 0% palm decanter, P1: rabbit pellets 5% palm decanter, P2: rabbit pellets 10% palm decanter, P3: rabbit pellets 15% palm decanter. Pellets are prepared based on the standard nutritional needs of rabbits. Pellets were stored in 0.5 kg plastic bags for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. Moisture, crude fat, and organoleptic content were carried out on pellet with storage times 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. Organoleptic was carried out by 20 panelists. Palatability was carried out for a pellet with seven days of storage and given to 5 rabbits. The moisture and crude fat content of pellet in all treatments ranged from 8.63-10.17%. The higher the palm decanter content, the pellet color tends to be black with a value of 2.6-4.3. The use of 15% palm decanter can cause pellets to have a slightly rancid aroma and a characteristic solid odor. The use of 15% palm decanter did not have a significant effect on rabbit feed consumption with the consumption range 74.93-145.73 g. The study concluded that rabbit pellets containing up to 15% palm mud with a storage time of 21 days did not reduce storability. Pellets containing up to 15% palm mud with a storage time of 7 days did not reduce palatability in rabbits. Key Words: palm decanter, pellet, rancidity, feed, palatability

The south of Brazil has a high production of peaches which generates the stone as residue. The recycling of biomass and plastic waste is a challenge that must be overcome. Therefore, co-pyrolysis emerges as a possibility for joint conversion of peach stone and plastic bags into value-added products. Thus, the objective is to obtain new products, emphasizing the organic fraction of the bio-oil obtained under the best experimental conditions, and to characterize it by GC-MS. The experiments provided a three-phase bio-oil: two organic phases with different densities and an aqueous phase. It was observed that the central point experiment (temperature at 500 °C and blend composition, % peach stone/polyethylene, 80/20) generated the highest yield of bio-oil. However, the experiment at the lowest temperature and with greater addition of plastic waste produced a higher organic fraction. Using gas chromatography, 161 chemical compounds were identified in the denser organic phase, emphasizing the phenols. In the lighter organic fraction, hydrocarbons were the majority among the 70 compounds identified. The results suggest that the interaction between biomass and polyethylene influences the characteristics of the products obtained, since polyethylene acts as dispersant and as hydrogen donor. Co-pyrolysis, in this research, proves to be efficient and viable, allowing the joint destination of those environmental liabilities.

Consumption of bottled water creates large amounts of non-biodegradable plastic waste that poses a serious threat to marine life. Single-use plastic bags have been banned in several states in India...

Protecting the environment from damaging human activities is one of humanity’s biggest challenges for the XXIst century. As the world’s largest ecosystem, the ocean faces multiple threats damaging its health and resilience. Among these threats, land-based pollution – mainly caused by plastic, pesticides and sewage - represents 80% of pollution at sea.Internationally and nationally, legal texts aiming to protect the ocean have sprouted these last decades. Nevertheless, in absence of adequate methodologies and tools, one cannot determine the extent to which this regulatory bloom hides protection voids, or contributes to an enhanced protection of the environment. In answer to these challenges, this PhD thesis develops and tests a methodology and tools to qualitatively and quantitatively assess and score adopted legal frameworks’ potential contribution to the protection of the environment.This objective required the design of a new analytical framework, based on the analysis of two complementary aspects of the regulations: their comprehensiveness and their forcefulness. This framework sets the ground for the identification of legal indicators. In addition, the specific design of a relational database enables multicriteria comparative analyses.The chosen thematic focus is the regulation of plastic bags, iconic single-use and widely regulated objects. The spatial focus is set on the analysis of the legal texts adopted by seven countries across the Atlantic Ocean (Brazil, Cape Verde, France, Ireland, Senegal, United Kingdom and United States of America).Overall, this work’s objective is to facilitate dialogue between law and other disciplines, and access to legal data.; La protection de l'environnement des impacts des activités humaines est l'un des grands défis pour le XXIe siècle. En particulier, l'océan est confronté à de multiples pressions qui nuisent à sa santé et à sa résilience. La pollution terrestre - principalement causée par le plastique, les pesticides et les eaux usées - représente 80% de la pollution en mer. Au niveau international et national, les textes juridiques visant à protéger l'océan ont fleuri ces dernières décennies. Néanmoins, en l'absence de méthodologies et d'outils adéquats, il est impossible de déterminer dans quelle mesure cette augmentation du nombre de textes cache des vides de protection, ou contribue à une meilleure protection de l'environnement. En réponse, cette thèse développe et teste une méthodologie et des outils pour évaluer qualitativement et quantitativement le rôle potentiel du droit à la protection de l'environnement. Ainsi, un cadre analytique a été conçu, basé sur l'analyse de deux aspects complémentaires des réglementations : leur caractère englobant et leur potentiel de contrainte. Ce cadre permet l'identification d'indicateurs juridiques. En outre, la conception spécifique d'une base de données relationnelle facilite des analyses comparatives multicritères. La thématique choisie est la réglementation des sacs plastique, objets à usage unique emblématiques. L'approche spatiale est centrée sur l'analyse des textes juridiques adoptés par sept pays bordant l’Océan Atlantique (Brésil, Cap-Vert, France, Irlande, Sénégal, Royaume-Uni et États-Unis d'Amérique).L'objectif de ce travail est de faciliter le dialogue entre le droit et les autres disciplines, ainsi que l'accès aux données juridiques.

The production of self-compacting concrete SCC is a relatively new technology. Nowadays, the production of SCC is becoming more popular. However, the production of SCC requires more sensitive and efficient workmanship and equipment. This research presents the fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) containing plastic bag waste fibers (PBWF). Fibers were prepared by using waste plastic bags. Plastic bag waste fibers (PBWF) are used in varying percentages of fibers (0.5, 1, and 1.5%) replacement by weight of fine aggregate. L-box, U-box, and V-box tests were performed to assess the fresh properties of the prepared mixtures. The compressive strength of the concrete(M-30) was determined. Test results show that mixtures based on PBWF with 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% met the criteria of self-compactibility (evaluated by U -box, L-box, and V-box) regardless of the fibers content. This research consists of (i) the development of a suitable mix for SCC containing PBWF that would satisfy the requirements of the workability; (ii) casting of concrete samples and testing them for compressive strength for 7days, 14days, and 28days.

The study aimed to analyse the potential risk behind kindling behaviour in Chinese rural families and to provide insights for policymakers in environmental health. A cluster survey was performed on 113 participant's families who were living in the countryside in the north of China, using solid fuels for cooking and heating purpose. A questionnaire survey on their kindling behaviour and family information was administrated. Harmful kindling materials including plastic bottles, plastic planting plates, plastic film mulches, plastic bags, waste foams, and medium density fibreboard (MDF) are targeted in the survey. About one third of participant's families have ever used the listed harmful material for kindling. Based on literature review and the exposure proportion estimated from the questionnaire, we estimated the population attributable fractions (PAF) for all cancer type (10.48-19.48%) and type 2 diabetes (15.57-27.86%) attributable to dioxin exposure. The PAF estimates were greater than our expectation from the view of the global estimate PAF for cancer and T2D. Moreover, we found farming families are more likely to use their farming-related plastic byproducts as kindling material. There is a huge knowledge gap in environmental health in rural China. Although we were not able to measure the specific exposure data, our survey provided a new research aspect for environmental health research and health education. Strengthened environmental health education, better relevant laws, regulations, and supporting policies for regulating rural and farming waste disposal are highly recommended for policymakers in China.

Plastic waste is a serious problem in Indonesia. Synthetic plastic or non-degradable plastic is a cause of waste and a trigger for environmental pollution. Plastic waste is the most discarded waste by humans because many people use plastic for their daily needs, whether it be individuals, shops, or large companies. The research objectives are to obtain the results of the study consumer knowledge about the dangers of plastic, to find out the analysis of the implementation of green advertisement, to know how the consumer's decision to use plastic bags, to determine the analysis of the influence of consumer knowledge on use decisions and to determine the analysis of the effect of green advertising on decisions to use plastic. The research method used was descriptive verificative with data collection techniques through literature and distributing questionnaires. The results showed that the consumer knowledge about the dangers of plastic shows is in the tofu category which shows that consumers know how dangerous plastic bags are. Consumer knowledge and green advertising do not affect the decision to use plastic. This indicates that consumer knowledge and green advertising have not been able to explain the use of plastic bags.

The management of solid wastes at the workplace in Ghana is characterised by mixed wastes pickup delays, dustbin overflows and leakage of plastic bags into the environment. Benefits from the pilot of source sorting as a mitigation measure at the workplace are unavailable in literature. Hence, the study employed descriptive statistical tools to assess the advantages of a piloted source sorting system at the CSIR-IIR. The sampled size was 100 staff with an 80% questionnaire recovery rate. The analysis of data showed that, the implementation of segregation at source transformed the social approach of workers towards waste management. Most workers (97.7%) preferred sorting their wastes at source irrespective of the location of the generation point. A congenial environment was created by the source separation infra­structure, which made staff worked better, (70% responses). The majority of staff (95.2%) confirmed the savings made by the Institute on the cost of landfilling. The sorting at source improved cleanliness of the compound (97.6% responses) and eliminated open-air burning of wastes (95.1% responses). In all, the source segregation was beneficial to the social, economic and environmental well-being of staff and management of the Institution.

Plastic pollution is among the many socio-economic and environmental dilemmas that have engulfed Pakistan. The exponentially increasing consumption of plastic and the difficulty of dealing with its waste has compelled the government to impose a ban on the use of non-biodegradable plastics. This ban has made Pakistan the 128th country to curb plastic usage through punitive measures. However, the country lacks cheap and sustainable alternatives for plastic bags and bottles, which form the most significant chunk of plastic waste. This research study aims to analyze and propose alternatives that can replace these plastic bags and bottles without compromising the lifestyle of citizens. The aim of this study is two-fold; first, it employs Fuzzy VIKOR, a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making technique for comparison and prioritization of alternatives, i.e., Conventional Plastic bags, Paper bags, and Bioplastic bags, with respect to multiple aspects of sustainability. Secondly, it performs a cost–benefit analysis of a Bioplastic plant, with a focus on the production of biodegradable plastic bottles. The MCDM analysis prioritized the bioplastic bags, followed by paper bags and the least preferable alternative turned out to be conventional plastic bags. The cost–benefit analysis indicated that although the production of bioplastic bottles instead of conventional plastic bottles would lead to the reduction of detrimental environmental impacts, however, currently it is not financially profitable for the industrialists to switch to bioplastics. Therefore, it is recommended that government authorities should incorporate carbon taxes and subsidize the sustainable development sector, which would, in turn, lead to the reduction of plastic consumption and waste in society.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la medición de la eficiencia en la aplicación del Impuesto Nacional al Consumo de las Bolsas Plásticas INCBP en cuanto al cumplimiento de los objetivos planteados por el legislador, como impuesto extrafiscal en la ciudad de Ibagué, Impuesto creado en la Ley 1819 de 2016, como parte del paquete de impuestos verdes; fue desarrollado bajo el enfoque metodológico cuantitativo, de tipo descriptivo, diseño no experimental y método transversal, en donde se ejecutaron actividades de análisis documental y observación de los establecimientos de comercio. Se logra establecer que, ante la novedad de la norma en materia tributaria, la eficiencia del INCBP, desde el punto de vista extrafiscal y de los entes de control, existen falencias: las cifras de ingresos de este impuesto no representan lo esperado por el Gobierno dado que aún faltan mecanismos para un seguimiento adecuado y oportuno al recaudo del mismo.

One of the biggest constrains to manage solid waste is to tackle old plastic bags /shoppers. Their decomposition period ranges 10 to 10,000 years in rough statistics. To eliminate these bags from waste stream is a notorious difficulty. So to convert this problem to a product could be a fascinating approach. It is a forward step towards green behavior. It also minimizes dumping loads so it is a space safety measure as well.

El uso de los biodigestores a nivel mundial y en Cuba específicamente, ha tenido un notable crecimiento por la puesta en vigor de políticas energéticas que potencian el uso de las fuentes renovables de energía. El objetivo del presente trabajo radica en mostrar las ventajas energéticas, agrícolas y económicas que el uso de los biodigestores debe propiciar en la granja porcina y fincas aledañas. En el anteproyecto fueron utilizadas metodologías de cálculos de biodigestores de la FAO, CEPAL y el Instituto de Investigaciones Porcinas de la República de Cuba. El cálculo realizado para la cocina de 100 comensales muestra que se requieren 13 bolsa plásticas de 10 m3 cada una. La evaluación económica es realizada en pesos cubanos (CUP) con una equivalencia de 24 $CUP/$USD y muestra que es necesaria una inversión inicial de 94,334.24 $CUP, que se obtiene un ingreso anual de 101,485.26 $CUP por el uso del biogás y la venta del abono, obteniéndose un VAN de 215,265.05 $CUP, una TIR de 30% y un periodo de recuperación de la inversión (PRI) de 3,2 años en una vida útil estimada de 10 años, lo que la convierten en una inversión atractiva. La inversión social propuesta tiene como objetivo mejorar las condiciones de vida y trabajo del personal que utiliza la leña en la cocción de alimentos y además contribuir a preservar el bosque cercano evitando la combustión de 56 t/año de madera como combustible.

The current statistic shows that the percentage of plastic has significantly increased in the landfill and leads to environmental issues due to its non-biodegradable characteristic. However, these challenges can be turned into opportunities by reusing and recycling such waste for civil engineering applications. Hence, the focuses of this paper are to analyze the possibility of utilizing plastic waste in the soil reinforcement field using VOSviewer software and to evaluate the chemical, thermal, physical, and mechanical properties of the plastics (plastic straw, plastic bottle, and plastic bag). The data for this study was collected from the articles published in Scopus. Nevertheless, there are very limited articles that relate soil reinforcement with the thermal, chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of plastic waste. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the properties of plastic waste, which were plastic bottles, plastic bags, and plastic straw. The properties of plastic waste have been investigated to ensure it meets the requirement for soil reinforcement technology. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated the presence of carbon and hydrogen chains in those plastics waste. The plastic straw, plastic bag, and plastic bottle were degraded at 382°C, 456°C, and 449°C, respectively. This finding indicated that all of these plastics waste were thermally stable in the tropical temperature. Moreover, the densities of the plastics waste were less than 1 g/cm3, which contributes to the lightweight material and it’s very crucial to eliminating the self-loading from the reinforcement material.

This issue covers the topic of sustainable cities and communities: a topic that is given due importance as one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The sustainability of cities and communities is facilitated through a series of actions that aim at improving the quality of life for urban residents, protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage, enhancing sustainable urbanization, and supporting underdeveloped countries in building resilient cities, among others. This journal issue shall comprise of a number of topics that fall under the umbrella of sustainable cities and communities, which would allow us to encourage the adoption of diverse solutions for sustainability issues and further contribute to the paradigm of sustainable cities and communities. Such issues include, but not limited to, the questions of housing, slums upgrading, sustainable planning, and waste management. These issues require urgent solutions as they pose imminent dangers such as the outgrowth of slums, uncontrollable increase in carbon footprint, shortage of affordable housing, and depletion of non-renewable energy that could be used in a balanced and controlled basket of energies. The urgency needed to address such issues in today’s societies requires the implementation of innovative measures in planning, design, construction and management of cities and their resources. This is an endeavour for which the accumulation of scientific research in the topic in question is an absolute necessity.

The life cycle assessment (LCA) of municipal solid waste (MSW) systems in developing countries is a matter of research. Obtain reliable results is challenging since field data and local databases are not always available. The research presented in this paper explores this issue in La Paz (Bolivia), where six environmental impact categories were assessed. The LCA, related to the formal MSW management system of the city, involves a sensitivity analysis of ten parameters and the scenario assessment in relation to the increase of the recycling rate. Results report that the environmental impacts are mostly sensitive in relation to landfill gas collection efficiency, use of plastic bags, the transportation distances of collected waste, and the replacement rate of virgin materials. Global warming potential is the impact category most variable (341.38–551.95 kg CO2-eq tMSW−1), although it is not considerably reduced by recycling, which contributed mostly to the human toxicity and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity. Doubling the amount of MSW recycled, from 235 t to about 473 t per year, human toxicity potential reduces of about 18% while freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity of about 12%. This research contributes for evaluating the most sensitive parameters in an MSW–LCA and to support policymakers towards waste recycling and sustainable development in Latin America developing cities.

The problem of plastic waste must be handled not only by the government but also by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the community. There are still many people who are using plastic bags in their daily lives. This lack of awareness of those people of reducing plastic bags is caused by; (a) Lack of social support that includes socio-cultural and community involvement to obey the rules, (b) lack of support from human and non-human resources, and (c) lack of support from the ability of executing agents – bureaucracy, norms and clear work patterns. Based on these facts, the research problem of this study is; how is the implementation of Denpasar Mayor Regulation Number 36 of 2018 on the use of plastic bags. This research was conducted qualitatively to determine and analyse the implementation of this regulation. Quantitative and qualitative data of this research were from primary and secondary data which were collected through observation, interviews, documentation, and from internet. Based on the theory of G. Shabbir Cheema and Dennis A. Rondinelli, there are four variables, namely condition of community environment, relationship between organizations, organizational resources for program implementation, and characteristics and capabilities of executing organization. The efforts and strategies that have been made by Denpasar City Government include among other things collecting data of the use of plastic bags, signing joint commitments, doing campaigns, arranging talk shows, and making policies one of which is Denpasar Mayor Regulation No. 36 of 2018. Masalah sampah plastik harus ditangani tidak saja oleh pemerintah tapi juga oleh lembaga swadaya masyarakat (LSM) dan masyarakat. Masih banyak masyarakat yang memakai kantong plastik dalam kesehariannya. Penyebab kurangnya kesadaran masyarakat dalam pengurangan kantong plastik adalah; (a) Kurangnya dukungan dari lingkungan yang mencakup sosio kultural serta keterlibatan masyarakat untuk menaati aturan, (b) kurangnya dukungan dari sumber daya manusia dan sumber daya non manusia, (c) dukungan yang kuramg memadai dari kemampuan agen pelaksana yaitu birokrasi, norma dan pola kerja yang jelas. Berdasarkan titik tolak dari fenomena tersebut, rumusan masalah penelitian ini adalah; bagaimanakah implementasi Peraturan Walikota Denpasar Nomor 36 Tahun 2018 Tentang Pengurangan Penggunaan Kantong Plastik di kota Denpasar. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis implementasi Peraturan tersebut. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian deskriptif yang dilakukan dengan pendekatan kualitatif serta menggunakan data kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Data primer dan skunder dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara, dokumentasi dan internet/daring, dan dikaji dengan teori G. Shabbir Cheema dan Dennis A. Rondinelli yang mengungkapkan empat variabel: kondisi lingkungan masyarakat, hubungan antara organisasi instansi lain, sumber daya organisasi untuk implementasi program, dan karakteristik dan kemampuan agen pelaksana. Berbagai upaya dan strategi yang telah dilakukan oleh Pemerintah Kota Denpasar meliputi pendataan penggunaan kantong plastik, penandatanganan komitmen bersama, kampanye, sosialisasi, talkshow, penetapan regulasi/ kebijakan terkait seperti Peraturan Walikota Denpasar No. 36 Tahun 2018.

Plastic bag is a product that is very often used in everyday life. Plastic bags are one of the biggest contributors to the volume of waste in Indonesia. Therefore, a policy related to the use of plastic bags is called a zero plastic bag. This policy requires plastic bag users to switch to using environmentally friendly bags. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of the zero platic bag policy on Makassar City community behavior related to the environment or green behavior if this policy is applied in the City of Makassar. To determine the effect of the zero plastic bag policy on people's behavior patterns about the environment using the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) method. Initial identification was carried out by distributing questionnaires to respondents using plastic bags, especially retail consumers in Makassar City. The questionnaire contained green behavior variables which consisted of five variables. Then the results of data collection using a questionnaire are processed using descriptive analysis and then look for the effect of zero plastic bag policies on green behavior using the SEM method. The results of the identification of the influence of zero plastic bag policy based on four variables namely environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, green advertising, and green consumption on green behavior are that of the four variables that have a positive influence on green behavior are environmental attitude, green advertising, and green consumption . The results of this study can be used as policy input and see how effective this policy is when applied in Makassar City.

The pollution is a phenomenon that occurs in every country on the planet, which leads to design strategies to mitigate it; Peru is no stranger to this and generates more than seven and a half million tons of solid waste per year, from which 64% comes from households and the average annual consumption per citizen is 30 kilos of plastic. Worrying situation that led the government to approve Law N° 30884 called Law that Regulates Single-use Plastic and Disposable Containers or Containers. The problem was raised: How does the application of the Plastic Law influence the consumption of biodegradable packaking in the population? For this study, a survey was applied to a representative sample made up of randomly chosen consumers in various areas of the country. The results show that despite having carried out campaigns and strategies to stop using plastic bags and teknopor containers, there are no relevant changes in consumer behavior.

Nowadays, the use of plastics is inseparable from daily life activities for both industrial commercial and household needs. Every year, an average individual consumes 700 plastic bags. Furthermore, the major types of plastic pollutants are High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). The nature of LDPE plastic makes it very difficult to undergo decomposition. Subsequently, efforts to overcome this problem have been carried out by several methods of processing or utilizing its waste through pyrolysis. This study aims to determine the effect of the quality of LDPE plastic waste on the plastic oil produced from the pyrolysis process. Based on their chemical compounds, all plastic oils produced were categorized as carbon compounds instead of hydrocarbons. Although, from the quality of the LDPE plastic used, the process produced gasoline, naphtha, and kerosene, the quality of each oil was different. Therefore, the higher the quality of the LDPE plastic used, the better the quality of the oil produced

Lead (Pb) is one of the most frequent and toxic contaminant in the environment. It can be bioaccumulated by marine organisms through contaminated sediments as well as their food chains. The current study aimed at investigating Pb occurrence in the sediments and gastropod P. haemastostoma from Vridi Canal. Sediment samples were taken using a Van Veen steel grab of 0.02 m2 area, sealed in plastic bags and transported to the laboratory at 4 °C. Gastropod P. haemastostoma species were collected manually using gloves, and then placed in polyethylene plastic bags. The different concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer Varian AA 20. The results showed seasonal variability of Pb concentrations in sediments and P. haemastostoma. In the both matrices, Pb exhibited the same trend in the distribution between the seasons. This study also mentioned that sediments were highly contaminated by Pb (54.27-134.71 mg/kg). Vridi Canal was found to be one of the most contaminated seaport area. Pb levels (49.55-104.19 mg/kg) in P. haemastostoma exceeding the maximum permitted levels according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This research demonstrated that sediments having lower ecological risk may be resulting in lower tissue Pb of P. haemastostoma. Keywords: Metal Pb, sediment, P. haemastostoma, seasonal variation

Salak fruit is generally considered to have a short storage life, because it is perishable fruit. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of packaging material on the quality of salak fruit cultivar pondoh. In this research salak fruits were packaged in the three types of packaging materials: polyethylene plastic bags (PE), cardboard (CB), and bamboo baskets (BB), and it were stored at 26oC. Parameters of the research were considered in mass loss, water content, total soluble solid, and titratable acidity. The result of the research showed that packaging salak pondoh with polyethylene plastic bag has better quality than other packaging materials and can prolong its shelf life.

Although the ban on plastic bags is gaining in prominence as a policy option to manage plastic bag litter, there are mixed views on its rationale and effectiveness. This study employs a systematic literature review to understand considerations, benefits and unintended consequences of banning plastic bags. The review’s results pointed to the limited success of a plastic bag ban owing to lack of suitable alternatives, limited state capacity to monitor and enforce the ban, thriving black market, structural and instrumental power of the plastic industry. The power of the industry was manifested by the covert practice of deflecting accountability to consumers by focusing on business-oriented solutions, including an inclination towards self-regulation. The findings of this study underscored the need for a global treaty to address the transient nature of plastic bag litter and moving away from the symbolic gesture of targeting only plastic shopping bags but considering the environmental impact of all forms of plastic such as straws, foamed plastics, plastic bottles and caps. There is a general consensus in literature that the end of plastic shopping bags is not nigh due to their utilitarian benefits. This study therefore recommends the promotion of a circular economy focusing on ecological modernisation, sustainable plastic bag manufacturing and recovery strategies such as recycling as a long-term strategy. A significant strand of literature reviewed also recommends the adoption of community-driven approaches such as voluntary initiatives as opposed to a plastic bag ban as they proved to be effective in promoting environmental citizenship behaviours in countries such as Finland.

We developed a toilet-incorporated electric medical bed for bedridden patients, in which a toilet basin, or a commode, is incorporated in the pelvic plate of an electric medical bed. A replaceable toilet seat is located in the mattress of the bed, and toilet basin was tightly attached on the pelvic plate the bed. The excretion slides through a storage tube that angles toward the side of the bed and is automatically collected in a disposable plastic bag. We, however, encountered a problem with testing this newly developed medical bed with the relevant international standard IEC 60601-2-52:2009, or with the corresponding Korean standard KS P 0388:2012--Electrically operated adjustable bed for home care. There was no clear indication in the scopes of the above standards as to whether this standard testing method is applicable to an electric medical bed embedded with a commode. We revised the Korean standard KS P 0388:2012 to accommodate the toilet-incorporated medical bed in the scope of the standard and successfully performed the mechanical tests including the durability, impact, and deformation test of the bed, proving that the newly developed toilet-incorporated medical bed is mechanically strong and durable enough to pass the standard tests.

In present investigation, an attempt was made to optimise the peak stress for paper laminate composite using FRANC2D software. It was observed that the laminate having the triangular geometry supposed to be most appropriate as it has the lowest value of peak stress contour compared to other models like parallel strip, up-down tapered and down-up tapered. The minimum peak stress was observed for the samples having triangular geometry while the maximum was observed for down-up tapered samples. Therefore, the hypothesis adopted to use in-built materials with variables reinforcement area and strip geometry and length in the FRANC2D software to optimize the sample geometry and then apply it to the paper laminate by considering its mechanical properties might be use to optimize the peak stress of paper laminate composite in tensile loading conditions. It was also observed a length of one-quarter of the length of the plane strip, might be the optimum length of the paper laminate samples. However, it feels that, the above model can be further modified considering a more significant mechanical properties as well as different sample geometries.

Essential oils may be used as natural anesthetic for fish in several farming and laboratory procedures. They are considered safe for both the fish and the environment. In this way, studies that evaluate essential oils as fish stress reducers are necessary to confirm such recommendations. Transportation is one of the most stressful fish farming practices, since fish are severely disturbed. Stress among fish may induce undesired consequences such as diseases and mortality. This study evaluated the effect of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil on the physiological parameters of stress in Colossoma macropomum subjected to transportation. Fish were transported in plastic bags under different concentrations of O. gratissimum essential oil (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L -1 ) for 4 h. Blood samples were collected before and after transportation. Glucose and ammonia levels increased and lactate levels decreased after transportation with O. gratissimum essential oil in the water. The total plasmatic protein and hepatic glycogen levels presented great variations, while hematological parameters did not show any difference between treatments. The fish recovered from transportation stress after 24 h. The concentrations of O. gratissimum essential oil evaluated here were not efficient in mitigating the stress responses of C. macropomum . Additional studies are needed to evaluate effective concentrations of O. gratissimum that would reduce stress responses in transportation, along with their associations with other products and procedures.

This research aims to determine and analyse the categories of levies in the paid plastic bag policy in Indonesia, and its relevance to pollution levies. Based on analysis, this research comes to the following conclusion: the paid plastic bags policy in Indonesia cannot be categorised as a tax or charge. The main characteristics of taxes or charges are not contained in the policy of paid plastic bags, especially in terms of the legal relationship between the parties. Paying for plastic bags fits in much better with the general concept of a pollution levy. In the context of imposing a cost on consumers, the relevance of this policy to pollution-levy principles could be seen from the attainable objective, namely altering consumer behaviour through pricing. This study contributes to current global literature in the field of the use of the levy concept in the paid plastic bag policy and its relevance to pollution abatement principles.

PT. Z is a company engaged in the plastic bag industry. The company produces plastic bags, one of which is a type of ATP 12 x 24 that is often used as plastic wrapping meatballs, sugar and others. A company is certainly required to provide the best quality on its products. To meet the needs and expectations of consumers for the quality of products, the company must improve the quality of existing products. Six sigma is a quality tool that can be used to analyze and process data to maintain or improve the quality of a product based on the process. One of the shorts used in the six sigma method is Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control ( DMAIC). This research focuses on the results of product defects produced for 5 months in 2019. Because of the process analyzed there is data of proportions that are out of control in july and november. So that the data is omitted so that the data can be controlled. The sigma production level of ATP 12 x 24 is currently at the level of 4 sigma so it is necessary to improve to reach the level of 6 sigma. Pareto diagrams and fishbone diagrams can be used as tools to analyze significant factors causing product defects. And it can be known that the causative factor that can be done repair is deflated.

In Colombia, plastic bags containing the pesticide chlorpyrifos protect the growing bunches of bananas and plantains from insects. When the bananas are harvested, the plastic bags are removed. This...

Nowadays, road damage issue become the norm due to increment of traffic load and traffic volume. It shortens the service life of asphalt mixtures and increase the cost of maintenance. One way to reduce the issue is by using polymer additive in asphalt mixture. Treated Plastic is one type of polymer additive made of plastic bag (Polyethylene). The main purpose of this research is to determine the improvement of asphalt mixture’s performance incorporating Treated Plastic (TP) as additive in terms of stability, stiffness, fatigue cracking, stripping and rutting. The mechanical properties of asphalt mixes that include various percentages of TP (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 2% and 3%) were calculated and assessed with laboratory tests. 0.75% by weight of total mix of TP was found to be the optimum amount. The outcomes were analyzed by Marshall Stability and Flow, Resilient Modulus, Tensile Strength Ratio and Hamburg Wheel Tracker test. As the results shown, the addition of TP gave significant improvement to the stability and stiffness of asphalt mixture.0.75% of TP was selected as the optimum percent content with percent improvement about 100, 73 and 25% for fatigue cracking, rutting and stripping resistance respectively. Hence, 0.75% of TP improved the resistance of rutting and stripping but susceptible to fatigue cracking.

Solar disinfection (SODIS) is a simple and low-cost household water treatment (HWT) option used for disinfection of drinking water. In this study, the bacterial inactivation potential of SODIS was evaluated under the solar irradiance observed in different seasons in Bangladesh according to WHO evaluation protocol of HWT, and the SODIS experiments were conducted for both transmissive and reflective reactors using PET bottles and plastic bags. In summer, log reduction value (LRV) more than 5 was observed for the transmissive PET reactors for 6 to 8 hr exposure to sunlight and the treated water complied with the microbial standard of zero colony forming units/100 mL in drinking water. In monsoon and winter, LRV > 4 can be achieved for 16 hr and 8 hr exposure to sunlight, respectively, using reflective reactors. The plastic bag was found to be more effective than PET. A safe exposure time was estimated from the Weibull model to be maintained for SODIS application to achieve 4.0 LRV and also to prevent the re-growth of microorganisms in the treated water. A significant re-growth of microorganisms was observed in the treated water, thus SODIS with other HWT processes can be recommended for use in communities with an unsafe drinking water supply. HIGHLIGHTS Address the effectiveness of SODIS under the local irradiance observed in Bangladesh.; Used both reflective and transmissive reactors.; Complete inactivation achieved under strong sunlight condition.; Reflective reactors are more effective.; A safe exposure time was estimated.

The environmental damage that plastic waste is causing has catalyzed government action against plastic bags around the world. Despite anti-plastic bag policies gaining traction globally, there has been limited investigation of why the implementation of bans has varied. The variation in implementing bans is particularly stark in East Africa, a region that has been at the forefront of plastic bag legislation. Rwanda’s implementation of a ban on plastic bags in 2008 has attracted widespread praise for its environmental leadership. Kenya adopted a plastic bag ban before Rwanda but implementation was consistently delayed until a stringent ban was finally imposed in 2018. In Uganda, despite bans being announced on four separate occasions, implementation continues to be delayed. This paper explains why some governments adopt and effectively enforce plastic bag bans while others reverse course or delay implementation. Existing literature has cited the comparative strength of plastic industries as the salient factor in explaining varied adoption of plastic bag bans. This paper argues that though the comparative business power of plastic industries explains whether bans are obstructed, it does not satisfactorily explain varied implementation. Instead, countries that pursue services-based development strategies, which prioritise externally dependent sectors like tourism, are more likely to implement plastic bag bans, which can help bolster their green credentials. For the Rwandan and Kenyan governments, presenting their countries as environmental leaders contributed to their goals of becoming a regional economic hub, reliant on services like tourism. The Kenyan government’s decision to eventually implement the ban was driven by a perceived need to compete with Rwanda for regional environmental leadership while supporting Kenya’s services-based economic development strategy. In contrast, Uganda’s comparatively larger discovery of oil and limited emphasis on services-based development explained the government’s lack of commitment to implementing a plastic bag ban.