LAPSE:2024.1594
Published Article

LAPSE:2024.1594
Designing Better Plastic Management Processes Through a Systems Approach
August 16, 2024. Originally submitted on July 9, 2024
Plastics are widely used for their affordability and versatility across many consumer and industrial applications. However, the end-of-life (EoL) management stage can often lead to releasing hazardous chemical additives and degradation products into the environment. The increasing demand for plastics is expected to increase the frequency of material releases throughout the plastic EoL management activities, creating a challenge for policymakers, including ensuring proper material segregation and disposal management and increasing recycling efficiency and material reuse. This research designed a Python-based EoL plastic management tool to support decision-makers in analyzing the holistic impacts of potential plastic waste management policies. The constructed tool was developed to reduce the complexity of material flow analysis calculations, estimating material releases, and environmental impacts. The utility of the tool was tested through the hypothetical nationwide adoption of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program. The decision-making capability of the tool can facilitate the prediction of long-term outcomes, offering technical knowledge and insight for policymakers seeking to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution.
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Suggested Citation
Chea JD, Conway M, Ruiz-Mercado GJ, Benavides PT, Yenkie KM. Designing Better Plastic Management Processes Through a Systems Approach. Systems and Control Transactions 3:691-697 (2024) https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.186991
Author Affiliations
Chea JD: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, hosted by Office of Research & Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
Conway M: Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
Ruiz-Mercado GJ: Office of Research & Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA
Benavides PT: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
Yenkie KM: Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
Conway M: Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
Ruiz-Mercado GJ: Office of Research & Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA
Benavides PT: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
Yenkie KM: Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, 08028, USA
Journal Name
Systems and Control Transactions
Volume
3
First Page
691
Last Page
697
Year
2024
Publication Date
2024-07-10
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PII: 0691-0697-676314-SCT-3-2024, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2024.1594
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https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.186991
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