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This study examines the domestic solid waste management system in the LATAM region, using the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador as a case study. Through the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, the study compares domestic and external recycling processes, evaluating their effects on global warming potential, fossil resource scarcity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. The results reveal that increasing recycling rates significantly reduces environmental impacts, with domestic recycling offering slightly higher environmental benefits than external options. A demographic analysis using machine learning techniques identifies distinct patterns of waste generation across different population clusters, highlighting the need for tailored waste management strategies. The study also emphasizes the importance of accurate local data and the integration of recycling initiatives with market realities, particularly in the light of policies mandating recycled content in products like PET bottles. A sensitivity analysis of the waste recovery indicator (WRI) demonstrates the potential for substantial environmental and economic benefits with higher recycling rates. The findings suggest that, to advance towards a circular economy, Latin American cities like Guayaquil must enhance their recycling infrastructure, refine waste management policies, and focus on demographic-specific strategies. This research contributes to the broader understanding of sustainable waste management in developing regions, offering insights for future policy and infrastructure development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amongst all synthetic polymers used in the clothing industry, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely used polyester, its fibres representing half the total PET global market (in comparison bottle PET being less than a third). Compared to bottle PET, the recycling of fabric PET fibres represents a challenge, both due to intrinsic structural differences (chain length and crystallinity) and to the presence of various additives (dyes, protection or finishing agents). Effective waste management requires addressing these additives through elimination or recycling processes. This review article aims to give an overview about all the existing means to recycle PET fibres. Textile recycling encompasses primary (closed-loop), secondary (mechanical), tertiary (chemical), and quaternary (incineration with energy recovery) processes. Mechanical recycling faces challenges due to PET's characteristics, including lower molecular weight and additives. Chemical recycling, particularly solvolysis processes (hydrolysis in neutral, acidic, or alkaline media, alcoholysis, glycolysis, aminolysis or enzymatic hydrolysis), offers a more advanced approach and will be described in detail, focusing both on the specific recycling of fibres when available and enlightening the advantages and drawbacks of each method. To discuss the environmental impact of each process, a quantitative analysis was conducted by defining the experimental domain represented by the temperature range and reaction time, and then calculating the energy-saving coefficient, as a green metric adapted to the diversity of textile PET recycling processes and data provided in the literature. This coefficient allows for discussing the relevance of using complex or non-renewable catalysts in processes, the positioning of enzymatic pathways, and the choice of reaction mechanisms applicable to the industry. A prospective approach was employed to identify key criteria for future advancements in green recycling. Subsequently, a comparative analysis of depolymerisation methods will be presented within the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs), green chemistry, and green metrics. Finally, using ε factors, this analysis will facilitate the detection and highlighting of pathways that show the most promise in terms of greening PET recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing industrialization and population deposit huge amounts of waste materials into nature every day. Environmental pollution is the biggest threat to life on earth, and one of the major polluters of nature is the throwaway plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a harmful fossil fuel/petroleum-based material. This review focuses on the recent development of recycling techniques of PET waste and their potential applications including fiber production, nanofibrous membrane, air filtering materials, water filtering materials, reinforced concrete formation, energy harvesting etc. In addition, the two most promising methods for recycling: chemical recycling and mechanical recycling are discussed. The most appropriate technologies and waste disposal procedures are suggested for energy harvesting based on the socio-economic aspects of the problem. The recent progress of this topic has been discussed. The prospect of these recycled bottles has been mentioned at the end of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water bottles are widely used in the Gulf countries. One estimate indicates that the water bottle usage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may reach up to 250 L of water per person annually. Generally, the water bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a recyclable material. Because of the non-availability of a powerful incentive system, these recyclable water bottles are often disposed of in landfills. This paper proposes a feasibility study of building a Deposit–Refund System (DRS) to encourage the closed-loop recycling of 0.5 L PET water bottles in the UAE waste disposal system. Water bottles are collected by a reverse vending machine (RVM) and recycled to produce PET bottles, and the proposed system will reward consumers with 0.04 United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) per deposited water bottle. Additionally, this study calculates the cost of 100% virgin polyethylene terephthalate (vPET) and 60% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) bottles based on the UAE population, data obtained from local water bottle companies, and existing research. Adopting this DRS will cut down on waste, protect the environment, improve the manufacturing process of water bottles, and boost the local economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste (MSW) continues to be a major challenge in almost every country. In Indonesia alone, approximately 64 million tons of MSW are produced on an annual basis. While polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles account for 12% of all plastic products, the waste is not well managed. Many stakeholders are involved in PET bottle waste recycling but no forum for stakeholders has been established. In this study, the aim is to identify an acceptable system for PET bottle waste, to determine the role and function of each stakeholder, and to propose a framework under the perspective of public-private partnerships. The study's novelty is the elaborate roles and schematic framework for various stakeholders in PET bottle waste. The aim is to identify an acceptable scheme for PET bottle waste and determine each stakeholder's role and function. Data was generated from electronic databases (2017 to December 2021) a systematic literature review methodology followed by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review. The data were analyzed by the Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach. This study found that the laws and regulations for waste management in Indonesia are not suitable for dealing with PET bottle waste, and the government carries out limited tasks and dedicates few resources to managing the waste. A public-private partnership framework was proposed to divide the role, commitment, goal, and activities of each stakeholder to properly manage PET bottle waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DRS performance is driven by diverse social, economic, and legislative factors. • Higher deposit values and more return points boost return rates in successful DRSs. • DRS supports the EPR principle, aiding compliance with plastic waste legislation. • Balancing environmental gains and transportation emissions is key to DRS sustainability. • DRS design must consider social factors for equitable participation in recycling. This critical review assesses the implementation and impact of Deposit Return Schemes (DRSs), also referred to as 'Deposit Refund Systems' and 'Deposit Return Systems' in international contexts, focusing on plastic beverage bottles. The review explores the multi-dimensional challenges that shape effective DRS implementation. A total of 143 peer-reviewed articles and grey literature studies were analysed based on DRS definitions, scope, year of implementation, materials involved, and impacts across multiple dimensions (technical, social, economic, regulatory, and environmental). Emphasising Europe, the study outlines the multi-dimensional challenges and opportunities associated with DRSs. Key findings highlight the critical importance of balancing redemption locations, deposit values, and public awareness, as reflected in varying return rates in different countries. While industry stakeholders advocate for standardising DRS models to maximise economic and technical value in the plastic bottle value chain, significant European-wide and regional-specific challenges such as harmonizing legal requirements, potential trade-offs, and addressing environmental and transportation costs, persist. This underscores the ongoing need for evaluation and refinement of DRS implementation strategies within evolving waste management practices. As the first of its kind, this study underscores the necessity for future research to inform the sustainability assessment of DRS, policy development, and efforts to promote social accountability. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer behavior is a critical consideration for the development of sustainable waste management systems, including waste batteries, which pose a serious threat to human health and the environment if disposed of improperly. This study investigates the consumers' perspective on the waste battery collection and recycling behaviors in Australia, and analyses their implications for the development of recycling schemes. The results show that, although general awareness exists among consumers about the negative impacts of improper disposal, this awareness was not reflected during the disposal of waste batteries among the participants. Insufficient knowledge about the waste battery collection points and convenience were the most important factors affecting the inappropriate disposal behavior from most of the consumers. Over 50% of participants were unaware of the collection points for waste batteries. The most-preferred battery collection systems involved a deposit return system similar to that used for bottle recycling in the state of New South Wales (NSW) or collection at supermarkets/retailers. The most preferred methods for providing an incentive to recycle batteries were "old-for-new" battery swaps, "vouchers that could be used for other items in a store," and "cash payments." Several policy implications have been highlighted from this pioneering study that could shape the future development of sustainable waste battery management systems in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PET bottle waste is easy to recycle because it is easy to separate, abundant, and competitively priced. Technologies for the treatment of PET bottle waste have been evaluated to date by using life cycle assessment (LCA), but this does not take into account all of the aspects that policymakers consider necessary when selecting an acceptable technology. Aspects such as society, economics, policies, and technical applicability need to be considered along with the environment and resource consumption to complement the LCA results for PET bottle waste. These aspects were selected as criteria for the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and stakeholders were invited to make a comparison evaluation of the criteria and sub-criteria. Academics were involved to compare the technology options. The results show that society is the highest priority because it is the main actor that ensures the application of the technology, and that job creation is the most important indicator for the selection of the technology in society criteria. After comparing open landfills, sanitary landfills, incineration with energy recovery, pelletizing, glycolysis, and hydrolysis for the utilization of PET bottle waste, this study suggests pelletizing as the acceptable technology for Indonesia because pelletizing is dominant in all the criteria and sub-criteria which support sustainability in waste management. This is the first time that a single plastic fraction that is easy to collect and recycle has been studied with the AHP. The results show that this type of plastic could also be reused in developing countries through mechanical recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Relation between material and environmental dimension of waste systems is analyzed. • Higher material efficiency generally translates into lower environmental impact. • Final closed loop recycling rates correlate best with environmental impacts. • Material efficiency does not reflect toxicity impacts of recycling systems. Material efficiency measures, such as recycling rates, are often used to set circular economy targets to achieve higher resource efficiency and lower environmental impact. The aim of this study was to identify material efficiency indicators suitable to reflect the environmental performance of waste and recycling systems using PET bottle waste management in three European countries with diverse waste management structures and recycling performance levels. Material flow analysis and life cycle assessment were performed to assess the material efficiency and environmental impacts of each system as a basis to analyze the relation between these two dimensions. PET bottle waste generation was 5.4 kg/person and year (pa) in Austria in 2013, 6.0 kg/pa in Germany in 2017 and 6.9 kg/pa in Serbia in 2015. Out of this waste flow 41%, 91%, and 11% were directed into PET recyclate in Austria, Germany and Serbia, respectively. For all systems, higher material efficiency translated into lower environmental impact and vice versa. However, linear regression analysis between different material efficiency indicators and environmental impacts showed that indicators targeted at actual recycling, specifically at closed loop, were better suited to reflect environmental performance than input-based indicators. Therefore, whenever data are available, output-based quality-related indicators should be used to measure the material efficiency of waste and resource systems because they correlate best with the goals of increasing resource efficiency and decreasing environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a high-speed gripper designed to enhance the efficiency of recycling, specifically for sorting reusable glass bottles. Traditional sorting methods often suffer from slow gripper operation, leading to limited throughput. To address this issue, a passive gripper mechanism is presented that minimizes operation time, thereby significantly improving sorting rates. The presented gripper utilizes a spring-based system, leveraging its energy storage capabilities. The force exerted by the gripper on glass bottles increases proportionally with their diameter, demonstrating force amplification through the spring mechanism via static analysis. Experimental validation across diverse glass bottles confirms to the gripper's effectiveness. Comparative studies with two commercially available grippers validate our design's high-speed. The result show a substantial increase in sorting time, suggesting its potential to revolutionize glass recycling. Furthermore, our proposed gripper exhibits minimized operational time as the manipulator's speed increases. By introducing mechanism, high-speed gripper, this work not only accelerates glass bottle sorting but also contributes to sustainable waste management. The synergy between innovative design and practical efficiency holds promise for advancing recycling technology. [Display omitted] • A high-speed gripper system tailored for sorting reusable glass bottles. • Gripper mechanism minimizes operation time, enhancing efficiency and sorting rates. • Experimental validation prove the gripper's effectiveness and faster sorting speed. • Accelerating sorting with innovative efficiency for sustainable waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is growing public awareness about environmental issues, incentive mechanisms leading to individual pro-environmental behaviors remain less investigated. This article examines the impact of bottle deposit laws (BDL), municipal recycling programs (MRP), and the ease of municipal recycling on recycling frequency for numerous products. An online survey of U.S. and Canadian households was conducted to collect data about individuals’ recycling practices and perceptions. We contracted an online survey company, Global Market Insite (GMI), to recruit panelists within their database to take the survey. GMI invited 2700 consumer panelists within their database representing all contiguous U.S. states and all Canadian provinces with 2511 surveys completed. Utilizing specific treatment groups and propensity score matching to control for unobserved heterogeneity, we find that MRP has a greater impact on recycling behaviors than BDL, and that the perceived ease of MRP positively influences individual recycling behaviors. For BDL without a municipal program being present, their effect is only for those products requiring the deposit. This research is useful for agencies interested in encouraging recycling behavior and researchers interested in the determinants of recycling behavior. Both programs should be measured for effectiveness and municipal recycling programs should be implemented where the goal is to promote recycling behavior as it was shown here to have a greater impact on recycling programs and may be perceived as an easier thing to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Most market products are offered to consumers in a wide range of packaging alternatives and the proportion of municipal solid waste attributed to packaging increases year after year. This study assesses the environmental impact of the commonest packaging options on the Spanish market for juice, beer and water. The production of different packaging materials and sizes was evaluated along with their method of final disposal (landfilling, incineration and recycling). Recycling was found to be the most environmentally friendly disposal option for all the packaging alternatives compared, and either incineration or landfilling was considered the second best option depending on the packaging material. The packaging options with the lowest environmental impacts were aseptic carton and plastic packaging (for sizes greater than 1l). The environmental profile of the whole beverage life cycle was evaluated. The results of the evaluation of the entire life cycle show that the impact of beer packaging is similar to the impact of beer production and these are the highest impact stages in the life cycle of beer. Packaging was found to have the highest environmental impact in the life cycles of water and juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]