This study evaluates the options for replacing single-use plastics with biomaterial packaging, with a focus on plastic bags, foam food boxes, and plastic trays and cups, considering their volume of consumption and end-of-life management in 2020 as a base case. The effects of this replacement of plastics with biomaterials on water scarcity, energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the life cycle, and the reduction of waste mismanagement were also evaluated. The findings from the study reveal that an optimal approach to manufacturing biomaterials and managing their end-of-life phase can lower GHG emissions by 1980 kt CO2-eq per year, reduce landfill waste by 490 kt per year, and decrease mismanaged waste by 987 kt per year as compared to the 2020 baseline (conventional plastics). The use of biomaterials in packaging can be an effective way to decrease plastic waste and its related environmental impacts. The analysis of the study highlights the need for proper waste management, and policymakers should take into consideration the environmental impacts and resource security implications of bio-based packaging.
The current study examines the contamination of microplastics in three greenhouse types: abandoned, normal, and simple. The findings revealed that the abundance of microplastics was found to be the highest in the abandoned greenhouse, followed by the normal greenhouse and simple greenhouse. The mean abundance of microplastic organic fertilizer and irrigation water was also high.[…]
The study examines the distribution of residual film after eight years of film mulching in mid-April 2018. Results from the study revealed that eight years of mulching significantly increased the quantity of agricultural mulch film residues in the soil. The size of residual film fragments was found to vary from 0.25 cm2 to 109 cm2,[…]
A study in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, investigated microplastic pollution in different land uses, including facility farmland, traditional farmland, orchard, grassland, and woodland. Results showed a significant difference in microplastic abundance and characteristics between different land use types. Facility farmlands, traditional farmlands, and orchard lands had higher microplastic abundance than grasslands and woodlands. The main[…]
The study analysed 225 soil samples from maize planting zones in northern China, revealing that long-term plastic film mulching increases microplastic pollution in agricultural soils. The abundance of microplastics was significantly higher in mulched soils (754 ± 477 items kg-1) than in non-mulched soils (376 ± 149 items kg-1). The length of time with film[…]
The study examined the relative abundances and morphological distributions of microplastics (MPs) in water, sediments, and farmland soils in the Caohai Lake region. The estuary in the study area was considered a potential sink for MP transportation. Transparent and black MPs accounted for a large proportion of MPs in the five environments, with possible sources[…]