Development of a Material Tracker Tool for Estimating Chemical Releases in the Plastic End-of-Life Stage

Plastic production and its continuous use globally presents considerable challenges with end-of-life (EoL) stage, resulting in a linear economy structure in which most plastic is used once and then landfilled or incinerated. Many efforts have been made to improve the recycling methods in the US but using chemical additives in plastics has impeded their recyclability and thus their overall sustainable EoL management. This work aims to analyze the movement of additives in plastics, tracking its migration from the disposal to the EoL stage activities, including recycling, incineration, and landfilling. The 2018 municipal solid waste data has been used as the basis for these calculations, and a case study has been completed to measure changes in additive releases, environmental impacts, and energy consumption resulting from different recycling efficiencies. A Python-based graphic user interface (GUI) has been programmed to allow users to change various parameters in the EoL stage data to make predictions and allow policymakers to make informed choices regarding the current municipal solid waste EoL procedures. Based on user input, this tool estimates the chemical additive releases, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy consumption associated with these EoL procedures. This Python-based GUI chemical release tracker tool can support an informed transition toward achieving a circular plastic economy.

The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.