As a result of which they choke and die. It also breaks down in tiny particles and can get into our bodies causing cell damage and other problems. Unfortunately, it costs more to recycle used plastic than to produce more.
Image source- ACS PublicationsBut the good news is there might be new findings in this field that can put an end to this problem. Scientists at University of California, Riverside have developed methods to convert plastic waste into charcoal or char. Assistant Professor Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz alongwith her colleagues have developed a method to convert plastic to a highly porous form of charcoal that captures carbon and can potentially be added to soil to improve its water retention ability and help in aeration. The process was developed at UCR Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering. Two kinds of plastic are primarily used in this conversion- polystyrene and PET. These plastics are cooked with corn wasted such as leftover stalks, leaves, husks and cobs in highly compressed water a process known as hydrothermal carbonization.Abdul-Aziz mentioned that the process need to be a bit more developed to actually use it in agricultural fields.What do you think about this development? Let us know in the comments.
