• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.74-84
• /
• 2024

Background: Despite many environmental problems, plastic waste emissions have been a significant surge during last few decades in the Republic of Korea. Furthermore, the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has lead to an increased use and disposal of plastic waste worldwide. This paper tried to present summarized data related to the production and disposal of plastics especially before and after the COVID-19 pandemic with environmental impacts of plastics. Also, review of plastic waste reduction policies and feasible policies to promote an act for a safe, sustainable environment are presented. Results: Plastics cause many environmental problems due to their non-degrading properties and have a huge direct and indirect impact on Ecosystems and Public Health. Microplastics need a lot of attention because their environmental effects are not yet fully identified. Despite plastic's significant impact on climate change, the impact is not yet widely known to the public. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of plastic has surged and recycling has decreased due to the increase in delivery food and online shopping. Korea is introducing very active plastic and waste management policies, but it is necessary to implement more active policies by referring to the cases of other countries. Conclusions: In this article, we have scrutinized the evolution of plastic waste generation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and delved into policy frameworks adopted by other nations, which South Korea can draw valuable lessons from. The formidable challenges posed by plastic waste, the remarkable shifts witnessed during the COVID-19 era, and the multifaceted response strategies elucidated in this paper all play a pivotal role in steering South Korea toward a sustainable future.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.201-206
• /
• 1992

Annual amount of plastics waste including rubber and leather waste, generated in 1990 was about 2,600,000 tons. Amount of generation of plastics waste has rapidly increased, but fractions of recycling and incineration have gradually decreased. Recently, two-stage incinerator, consisting of gasifier and gas combustor, draws much attention in Korea. Plastics are gasified in the starved air condition in the gasifier and produced gas is fired in the combustor. Combustion of produced gas is much easier than that of solid plastics, and produces a little pollutants. Standardzation of technology and process automation are still needed, but this incineration technology is in the commercial stage. Next topic concerned with this two-stage incineration will be how to treat complex plastics waste including toxic substances generated from automobiles and household appliances. Pyrolysis, realized by indirect heating in inert atmosphere, can provide high-quality products with minimum emissions. Many plastics are easily decomposed into oil in pyrolysis conditions, which can be utilized as chemical feedstocks, or gasoline or kerosene depending on feed materials and operating conditions. This has been demonstrated in several pilot-scale tests performed in Japan, Germany, etc. Easy removal of HCl from PVC is one of the most decisive merits of pyrolysis process. But in general, further efforts should be made for the process to obtain marketability. The future of pyrolysis process depends on public concern about environmental problems and oil prices.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.16 no.2 s.76
• /
• pp.56-62
• /
• 2007

In this study, we carried out the research on triboelectrostatic separation for heavy group plastics (PET, PVC) recovered from wet gravity separation. From the research on charging characteristic for the choice of charging materials, it was found that PP was optimum charging material to make high charging amount with opposite polarity for PET and PVC of heavy group. Therefore, we manufactured a charger of cyclone type using PP material for separation of PET and PVC. At optimum test conditions that used PP cyclone charger developed in this study, we developed a triboelectrostatic separation technique that can separate PET plastic up to grade of 98.5% and recovery of 86.2%. We established new separation technology that could recycle the PET and PVC heavy group plastics recovered from wet gravity separation.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.15 no.1 s.69
• /
• pp.20-27
• /
• 2006

PVC is the thermoplastic offering excellent material properties. PVC has been used in wide variety of applications, however, it causes environmental problems when it is discarded because of its high chlorine content. Since dechlorination reaction of PVC is taking place at relatively low temperature compared to the pyrolysis temperature of plastics, study on the dechlorination reaction has been carried out as a pre-treatment process. Twin screw reactor which shows excellent mixing capabilities is employed. Experimental variables are the first and second reactor temperature, PVC content in mixed plastics, viscosity of mixed plastics, feeding rate, rotational speed or the second reactor. Over $90\%$ of dechlorination ratio can be obtained under proper operation conditions. Chlorine gas evolved from reactor is absorbed in water and can be recovered as a hydrochloric acid. Analysis had been done on chlorine flows by taking material balance over realtor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.83-96
• /
• 2005

PVC is the thermoplastic offering excellent material properties. PVC is used in wide variety of applications, however, it causes environmental problems when it is discarded because of its high chlorine content. Since dechlorination reaction of PVC is taking place relatively low temperature compared to the pyrolysis temperature of plastics, study on the dechlorination reaction has been carried out as a pre-treatment process. Twin screw reactor which shows excellent mixing capabilities is employed. Experimental variables are first and second reactor temperature, PVC content in mixed plastics, viscosity of mixed plastics, feeding rate, rotational speed of the second reactor. Over 90% of dechlorination rate can be obtained under proper operation conditions. Chlorine gas evolved from reactor is absorbed in water and can be recovered as a hydrochloric acid. Analysis had been done on chlorine flows by taking material balance over reactor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
• /
• 2004.05a
• /
• pp.66-69
• /
• 2004

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2000.11b
• /
• pp.538-543
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this study is to develope electrostatic separation system for recycling of mixed waste plastics. The electrostatic separation system is designed and investigated the separation efficiency for separating of mixed waste plastics. Electrostatic separation system consisted of a tribocharger, separator (two electrode), collector (5 tray) and controller (positive/negative high voltage power supply). The tribocharger is a fluidized bed using tribo-electrification mechanism between particles and particles. In experimental results, the tribocharger of the fluidized bed was more effective separation efficiency. It showed the purity of $85{\sim}99\;%$ and the recovery of $80{\sim}98\;%$ from the powder of mixed plastics such as LDPE, HDPE, PP, PS, PET and PVC. Especially, In the separation experiment of Polyvinylchloride(PVC) which generates hazardous hydrogen chloride gas in case of the combustion. its purity was over 99 % and recovery was over 95 %.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 2002

Triboelectrostatic Separation procese is a technology that different particles charged after contact and rubbing different materials are separated in an electric field. At this time, charged polarity of different materials depends on their own work function. Therefore this study discovers work functions of various plastics and determines charging characteristics for the specific optimum operation condition. The experiment is conducted with two sample sets composed of various different plastics. Each sample is charged by contact and rubbing different materials. Surface charge of charged particles is measured by Faraday Cage. The specific work function of an each plastic is driven by measured charging amount and charged particles are separated in a certain electric field ($\pm$20 kV). At last, the relationship between charging amount and separation efficiency is induced by the separation experiment.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.5-11
• /
• 1997

It presents the amounts of used plastics praduccd in recent years in comparison with the total municipal waste sewage produced in lapan. 'Ex needs of appropriate policies and guidelines to handle various used plastic mzterials are presened and haw such policies and guidelines are currently being mapped out in Japan is also described.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.3-15
• /
• 2018

Since the use of plastics in various goods such as film, containers, and packaging has been increasing in Korea, the generation of plastic waste is increasing. Plastic wastes are managed by waste charge system, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system and voluntary agreement of plastic waste collection-recycling system. Recently, the management of plastic waste is becoming a social issues due to the refusal of the collection of plastic waste including waste plastic bag and waste vinyl. The ministry of environment in korea was set up the comprehensive plan for recycling waste management in accordance with the circulation cycle of manufacturing and production - distribution and consumption - separate and discharge - collection and sorting - recycling. In this study, the improvements for management of plastic waste were suggested with the review of domestic waste plastics management and the comprehensive plan by the ministry of environment.