Aryam

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@mal_omar Understanding Plastics Recycling Economic, Ecological and Technical Aspects of Plastic Waste
Handling (2017) by Natalie Rudolph, Raphael Kiesel, Chuanchom Aumnate

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

In my recycling plastics course, CBE562, I learned that grocery bags and most flexible plastics should not be placed in a recycling bin unless they are shredded, as they can pose obstacles for recycling equipment.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 I learned that active sites are lined with low-permeability soil, followed by a layer of HDPE, which covers the entire bottom and sides of the site to prevent any leakage to nearby water sources.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 @houqian_li I learned that Radius Packaging uses a vacuum system to remove defective plastic pieces rather than shutting down the entire system, which is more cost and time effective. Defects are then sorted and grated to be used as resin for the same plastic.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 I learned that water is used at various stages of recycling, including plastic sorting (sink/float test), conveyance, and washing throughout the process. A typical washing line can consume over 6,000 gallons of water per hour.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 @AuroraMunguia09 Today I learned that there are two types of LCA “Cradle to Grave” which considers the full cycle of the product, or “Cradle to Gate” which stops at the trading of the product.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 I learned that polyethylene was initially discovered by accident and was then developed in 1939 for the production of high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 Today I learned that modern landfill systems come in cells where the area is based on capital expendures.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 How challenging is the shift from polymer processing for conventional packaging to the more sustainable alternatives that aim to repurpose the packaging?

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 Today, I learned that an increase of 0.01 in the fraction of monofunctional groups can result in a 50% reduction in the degree of polymerization. This can be utilized in controlling the chain length of polymers.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 Today I learned Thermofixation is a process that heat stablizes film by increasing the crystallinity of the polymer, but it doesn’t effect the clarity of the film as the crystals are not large enough to scatter much light.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 Today I learned that CPET can withstand higher temperatures than APET, because crystals in CPET prevent randomization of the polymer strands.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 @amcorpackaging Today, I learned that product packaging was once designed to be in landfills. Nowadays, it is designed to provide the packaging with another purpose, thereby reducing waste.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 I learned that Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), is a technique used to determine the molecular weight distribution of polymers. We also learned that polymer samples in GPC must be dissolved in a solution.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 @chevronphillips Today I learned that bicycle tires are made of Styrene-butadiene (SBR) rubber which a type of number 7 plastic.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 In this course, I hope to learn more about how to make plastic consumption more sustainable and less harmful to the environment, as well as gain insights into the current technologies being developed to achieve this.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 I learned that the polyester used in clothing is actually PET. Additionally, I discovered that the various plastic identification codes have different meanings, with only codes 1 and 2 indicating recyclable materials.

[Aryam @AryamAlmahmoud]

@gwhuber2 I learned that we began consuming plastics, despite their harmful impact on the environment, because plastics are considered a better alternative than previously consumed materials, such as animal bones. Also, plastics help ensure our safety, as seen in food packaging.