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Mentor recycled landscape materials8/13/2023 ![]() It is not as dominant as photodegradation, but it can activate or speed it up (Briassoulis 2005). Mechanical degradation occurs through action of abrasive forces, heating/cooling, freezing/thawing and wetting/drying (Duwez and Nysten 2001). This is generally the initial event, which primes the plastic material for subsequent thermo-oxidative degradation mechanisms (Rhodes 2018). Photodegradation is due to solar UV radiation in outdoor exposure. In general, the defragmentation rate for plastics is below 1–3% weight per year in sediment or water, and photodegradation and mechanical degradation are the main drivers (Sundt et al. Different plastic types and shapes will fragment at different rates in the environment, with thinner plastic pieces expected to degrade relatively faster (Eubeler et al. Secondary microplastics originate from the fragmentation (or degradation of larger plastic items) while they are exposed to environmental factors (Boucher and Friot 2017). According to Boucher and Friot ( 2017), more than 1.5 million tons of primary plastics find their way to the oceans. They can also originate from the abrasion of large plastic objects during manufacturing, use, or maintenance, such as the erosion of tires when driving, or the abrasion of synthetic textiles during washing. They can be, for example, industrial abrasives used in sandblasting and microbeads used in cosmetics and other personal care and cosmetic products. Primary microplastics are specifically manufactured in the microplastic size range or directly released into the environment in the form of small particulates. Microplastics are classified as primary and secondary. Recently, awareness was raised about the importance of microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. Plastic pollution results in an estimated 1–5% decline in the benefit humans derive from oceans and USD2,500 billion in social and economic impacts annually (Beaumont et al. In 2015, mismanaged plastic waste was estimated to be 52 million tons for Asia, 17 million tons for Africa, and 8 million tons for Latin America (Lebreton and Andrady 2019). Much of the rest has ended up in landfills, dumps, and the environment or in rivers, lakes, and oceans. However, only 9% of the 9 billion tons of plastic ever produced has been recycled (Geyer et al. Plastic usage increases year by year and the growing trend is projected to continue at least over the next decade. In 2017, 348 million tons of plastic products (excluding derivatives such as synthetic textiles) were manufactured (Plastics Europe 2020). Plastics are light, easy to handle, and economical materials commonly used in sectors such as packaging, building, and construction, the automotive industry, electrical and electronic parts, leisure products, and so forth (Hahladakis et al. This guidance is expected to help policymakers and practitioners address, in a sustainable and cost-efficient way, the plastic and microplastic management problem using technologies and policy instruments suitable in their local context. The review discusses the effectiveness, capital expenditure, and operation and maintenance costs of the different technologies, the cost of implementation of policy measures, and the suitability of each solution under various conditions. measures to support the informal sector, bans, enforcement of levies, voluntary measures, extended producer responsibility, measures to enhance recycling and guidelines, standards and protocols to guide activities and interventions) to reduce use, reuse, and recycle plastics and microplastics in support of the technological options. ![]() ![]() stormwater, municipal wastewater and drinking water treatment), as well as general policy measures (i.e. booms and clean-up boats, trash racks, and sea bins), and microplastics (i.e. mechanical and chemical plastic recycling or incineration), in-stream (i.e. They include technologies to control plastics in solid wastes (i.e. Based on scientific and gray literature mainly published during the last 10 years, this review summarizes key solutions currently in use globally that have the potential to address at scale the plastic and microplastic contaminations from source to sea. Curbing this trend is a major challenge that requires urgent and multifaceted action. However as of 2017, only 9% of the 9 billion tons of plastic ever produced had been recycled leaving large amounts of plastics to contaminate the environment, resulting in important negative health and economic impacts. Plastic usage increases year by year, and the growing trend is projected to continue.
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