Directions of plastic waste management in the era of COVID-19

Directions of plastic waste management in the era of COVID-19

The emergence and rapid worldwide spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus resulted in increase in the production of plastic waste. The greatest increase in demand was recorded for personal protective equipment due to the fact that many countries have ordered their wearing in public space. The production of disposable food packaging has also increased during the pandemic. Researchers noted that environmental pollution will increase due to improper management of plastic waste and disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE). A rational method of management and processing of plastic waste generated during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic should be developed in such a way that it does not endanger the environment or human health. This article proposes a method of thermal processing of the above-mentioned waste, namely pyrolysis, which can replace landfilling and incineration. This method allows not only effective neutralization of hazardous waste, but also, which is particularly important, leads to the creation of valuable products.

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