This study aims at investigating the types of interventions that could be most effective in steering recycling behaviour in each US state, taking the case of PET bottles. This study combines agent-based modelling, material flow analysis, system dynamics, and life cycle assessment to assess the effect of four behavioural interventions on the collection rates of polyethylene terephthalate bottle waste, displaced virgin plastic manufacturing, and avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Results from the study reveal that behavioural interventions would require about 300–900 GJ of additional energy at end-of-life due to improved collection rates and would avoid about 500–700 thousand metric tonnes of GHG emissions. Results also illustrate the importance of habits in disposal behaviours and show that different forms of intervention could be better adapted to particular social contexts than others. The study demonstrates that the circular economy and its application to plastic waste should certainly not be restricted to recycling, and that improved collection rates and recycling technologies are also important and can contribute towards reducing the amount of plastic waste polluting our oceans.
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[…]