• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.338-347
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• 2021

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a family of microbial polyesters that are used as biodegradable plastics in replacement of conventional plastics for various applications. However, the high production cost is the barrier for PHA market expansion. This study aimed to utilize food waste as low-cost feedstock to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) by Haloferax mediterranei. The effects of acetate (Ac), propionate (Pr), butyrate (Bu), and the short-chain carboxylates derived from food waste were examined on the microbial growth and PHBV production. Results showed that a mixture of carboxylates provided a 55% higher PHBV yield than glucose. The food-waste-derived nutrients achieved the yields of 0.41 to 0.54 g PHBV/g Ac from initial loadings of 450 mg/l to 1,800 mg/l Ac of total carboxylates. And the consumption of individual carboxylate varied between different compositions of the carbon source. The present study demonstrates the potential of using food waste as feedstock to produce PHBV by Haloferax mediterranei, which can provide economic benefits to the current PHA industry. Meanwhile, it will also help promote organic waste reduction in landfills and waste management in general.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2020

The plastic waste problem is deepening all over the world. Plastic wastes have serious impacts on our lives as well as environ- mental pollution. The production and use of plastics increases every year, but once they are produced, they usually roam the earth for hundreds or thousands of years to pollute the environment. Although there is growing interest in plastic issues around the world and environmental regulations are being tightened, but no clear solution has yet been found. This study suggests Environmental degradation index (EDI). EDI can help raise consumers' attention to plastic wastes. In addition, EDI will contribute to reduce them in the future. As far as we know, this is the first study. We developed EDI for the confectionery packaging. This study defines four factors that may affect the environment of confectionery packaging: greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, methane emissions, and packaging space ratio. Then we quantify the value of each element and compute EDI as the sum of the four component values. In order to evaluate the feasibility of EDI proposed in this study, confectionery-packaging materials distributed in Korea were collected and analyzed. First, the types of confectionery are classified into pies, biscuits, and snacks and basic data was collected. Then the values of the four components were calculated using existing research data on the environment. We can use the proposed EDI to determine how much a product packing affects the environment.

• Clean Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 1999

Recycling of red mud from the aluminium manufacturing process was investigated to be utilized as plastic fillers. High density polyethylene(HDPE), low density polyethylene(LDPE) and polypropylene(PP) were found to be the suitable plastic material for which red mud can be used as fillers. With the addition of red mud the plastic showed red brown color. As the ratio of amount of red mud to plastic increased, the tensile strength increased while the Izod impact strength decreased. About five percent of ethylene vinyl alcohol(EVA) was needed as an additive to prevent the lowering of impact strength. Maleic anhydride modified polypropylene was effective for reduction of impact strength lowering of PP. Mixed waste plastics containing LDPE, HDPE, PP, polystyrene and ABS could also accommodate red mud as fillers. In this case, significant loss in mechanical properties were observed due to immiscibility between the components. Ethylene propylene rubber(EPR) and styrene butadiene styrene block copolymer (SBS) could be used to improve the impact properties of the commingled waste plastics.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2024

In this study, environmental evaluation of high barrier coated paper (coating layer/paper) packaging is conducted in comparison with conventional aluminum laminated (PET/VMPET/LLDPE) plastic packaging. The target product for this packaging is a KF94 mask, which requires a high barrier of water and oxygen to maintain the filtration ability of the mask filter. The functional unit of this study is 10,000 mask packaging materials based on a material capable of blocking oxygen (<1 g/m²day) and moisture (<3 g/m²day) for the preservation of KF94 masks. In order to understand the results easily, paper-based mask packaging system divided into 6 stages (pulp, pulping & paper making, calendaring & coating, printing, packing and waste management), while plastic-based mask packaging consists of 5 stages (material production, processing, printing, packing, waste management) In case of paper-based mask packaging, most contributing stage is calendaring & coating, resulting from heat and electricity production. On the other hand, plastic-based mask packaging is contributed more than 30% by material production, specifically due to linear low density polyethylene and purified terephthalic acid production. The comparison results show that global warming potential of paper-based mask packaging has 32% lower than that of plastic-based mask packaging. Most of other impact indicators revealed in similar trend.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.207-215
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• 2020

This paper describes the experimental studies carried out to determine the properties of fresh and hardened concrete with Recycled Plastic Waste (RPW) as a partial replacement material for fine aggregates. In the experimental study, RPW was used for replacing river sand and manufactured sand (M sand) aggregates in concrete. The replacement level of fine aggregates was ranging from 5% to 20% by volume with an increment of 5%. M40 grade of concrete with water cement ratio of 0.40 was used in this study. Two different types of RPW were used, and they are (i) un-activated RPW and (ii) activated RPW. The activated RPW was obtained by alkali activation of un-activated RPW using NaOH solution. The hardened properties of the concrete determined were dry density, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). The properties of the concrete with river sand, M sand, activated RPW and un-activated RPW were compared and inferences were drawn. The effect of activation using NaOH solution was investigated using FT-IR study. The micro structural examination of hardened concrete was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The test results show that the strength of concrete with activated RPW was more than that of un-activated RPW. From the results, it is evident that it is feasible to use 5% un-activated RPW and 15% activated RPW as fine aggregates for making concrete without affecting the strength properties.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Disposable diaper has been used in order to handle urine and feces conveniently. At present the amount of disposable diaper waste increases gradually. Incineration and landfill have been the only ways to dispose of disposable diapers. However, if they are disposed by landfill, decomposition will take more than one hundred years. In addition, another way of dispose incineration has caused air pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to study recycling process for disposable diaper since plastic and wood fibers of diaper are useful materials to recycle. In this study, pulping condition of disposable diaper waste was studied in order to effectively separate the components. Recovery rates of plastic and fibers were analyzed under different pulping conditions. It was found that optimum pulping consistency was 5%, time was 60 minutes, temperature was $50^{\circ}C$, and cut size is $21cm{\times}21cm$. The recovery rate of plastic and fibers can be achieved above 70% under the optimum pulping condition.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.50-56
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• 2013

Recycled plastic composites of ABS/PE (50/50 and 20/80) and ABS/GF (90/10) were fabricated from plastic components of waste LCDs and effects of PE composition on elongation of ABS/PE composites were investigated. Increased PE contents improved elongation of the composite from 2.4% to 13%, which was attributed to increased crystalline behavior of the ABS/PE composite afforded by ductile PE fraction: SEM fractographs showed some sign of plastic deformation of PE matrix before ductile fracture of the composites.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.327-333
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• 2023

The water gas shift reaction was carried out using the commercial catalyst pellet and the simulated gases expected to occur from waste plastic gasification. In the water gas shift reaction, the high temperature shift reaction and the low temperature shift reaction were continuously performed with CO:H₂O ratio of 1:2, 1:2.5, and 1:3, and the CO conversion and H₂ increase rate were evaluated. The H₂ increase rate increased in order to CO:H₂O ratio of 1:3 > CO:H₂O ratio of 1:2.5 > CO:H₂O ratio of 1:2. The CO conversion showed a high value of more than 97% at each CO:H₂O ratio. The water gas shift reaction at a CO:H₂O ratio of 1:3 showed the highest H2 increase rate and CO conversion.

• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 2012

These days many companies are trying to reduce, recycle and reuse their wastes. Even though many wastes can be recycled, those are incinerated or landfilled. To solve these problems, there are many projects to make efforts to recycle wastes in especially the industrial complexes. But, due to the absence of information about waste recycling, recyclable wastes are still incinerated or landfilled. Based on these research background, this study aims to suggest the evaluation methodology of the $CO_2$ emissions and cost reduced by circulating the industrial waste to resource. We evaluated the environmental and economic effect between companies which emit the plastic waste and organic solvent waste and use them as raw-materials in the off-line recycling information exchange network. The environmental and economic aspects were analyzed comparing waste recycling with waste incineration. By recycling the plastic waste as raw-materials, $CO_2$ emission were reduced 1,070 ton in 2009 and 1,234 ton in 2010 and 657.4 million won in 2009 and 755.0 million won in 2010 were reduced. In recycling the organic solvent waste, 7.3 ton-$CO_2$ in 2010 and 5.6 ton-$CO_2$ in 2011 were reduced and 15.9 million won in 2010 and 12.2 million won in 2011 were reduced.

• World Technopolis Review
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2014

Center for Research of Science and Technology ("PUSPIPTEK") has 460 hectares land area, still maintained as a green area with more than 30% green space. There are 47 centers for research and testing technology, technology-based industries, and as well as public supporting facilities in PUSPIPTEK area. Based on the concepts developed to make this area as an ecological region, PUSPIPTEK can be seen as a model of eco-innovation. The purpose of this research is to develop a model of water, energy and waste management with eco-innovation concept. As a new approach in addressing environmental degradation and maintaining the sustainability of ecosystem, studies related to eco-innovation policy that combines the management of water, energy and waste in the region has not been done. In order to achieve the objectives of the research, a series of techniques for collecting data on PUSPIPTEK existing conditions will be carried out, which includes utilities data (water, electricity, sewage) and master plan of this area. The savings over the implementation of the concept of eco-innovation in water, energy, and waste management were calculated and analyzed using quatitative methods. The amount of cost savings and feasibility were then calculated. Eco innovation in water management among other innovations include the provision of alternative sources of water, overflow of rain water and water environments utilization, and use of gravity to replace the pumping function. Eco-innovation in energy management innovations include the use of LED and solar cell for air conditioning. Eco-innovation in waste management includes methods of composting for organic waste management. The research results: (1) The savings that can be achieved with the implementation of eco innovation in the water management is Rp. 3,032,640 daily, or Rp.1,106,913,600 annually; (2) The savings derived from the implementation of eco innovation through replacement of central AC to AC LiBr Solar Powered will be saved Rp.1,933,992,990 annually and the use of LED lights in the Public street lighting PUSPIPTEK saved Rp.163,454,433 annually; (3) Application of eco innovation in waste management will be able to raise awareness of the environment by sorting organic, inorganic and plastic waste. Composting and plastic waste obtained from the sale revenue of Rp. 44,016,000 per year; (4) Overall, implementation of the eco-innovation system in PUSPIPTEK area can saves Rp. 3,248,377,023 per year, compared to the existing system; and (5)The savings are obtained with implementation of eco-innovation is considered as income. Analysis of the feasibility of the implementation of eco-innovation in water, energy, and waste management in PUSPIPTEK give NPV at a 15% discount factor in Rp. 3,895,228,761; 23.20% of IRR and 4.48 years of PBP. Thus the model of eco-innovation in the area PUSPIPTEK is feasible to implement.