Title: A Historical Review on Plastic Waste Management and Innovations.
Author: Abhinav Gitaram Bhosale.
Roll no.: 01
Class : FYMMS
LITERATURE RIVIEW
Household Plastic Segregation: A Perception Study
Goswami, Sinmoy; Medhi, Nikita; Kalwar, Subham; Borgohain, Upasana(May 2024) addresses the important environmental problem of household municipal waste by exploring plastic waste separation method among 2,563 participants in Assam, India. It indicates that families in the area mainly opt for direct disposal instead of recycling or reuse, often due to a significant lack of public awareness. This study shows the urgency to run educational programs to change how the community sees the significance of actively separating waste sources to reduce our environment’s long-term impact. The research points out a gap by showing that behavior change is needed to turn plastic waste from a tough pollutant into a manageable resource.
Plastic Recycling Pathways: A P360 White Paper
Author Dr. Meenu Sachdeva (June 2020) says India generates 26,000 MT of plastic waste daily, with 40% remaining uncollected and threatening ecosystems. To mitigate this, the industry utilizes the “3Rs” framework, focusing on mechanical recycling for thermoplastics and feedstock recycling for complex multi-layer materials. Non-recyclable plastics are repurposed for energy recovery, as their high calorific value (40MJ/kg) makes them a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Random Search for Plastic Waste Network Optimization: Belagavi Case
Author Chetan V Hiremath, S.C. Patil (Mar 2020) shows that establishing better waste management system is important to decrease the environmental degradation and social inequality. By applying advanced mathematical modeling techniques to the specific logistical hurdles of an Indian city, the authors provide a framework for Implementing traditional method to modern data driven method.
India Bans Single-Use Plastics
Author Karen Laired (9/13/2021) address that the plastic waste, India’s Ministry of Environment implemented a ban on low-utility, high-litter single-use plastics—such as cutlery, straws, and packaging films—effective July 1, 2022. These rules mandated increasing the minimum thickness of plastic bags to 120 microns by the end of 2022 while specifically exempting items made from compostable plastics. A national task force and extended producer responsibility rules were established to ensure sustainable waste management and compliance across the country. To support this transition, the government launched awareness campaigns and the India Plastic Challenge Hackathon 2021 to foster the development of alternative materials and digital solutions.
From Waste to Wear: Brazil’s Plastic-to-Shoe Co-ops
Victoria Malloy (12/2/2024) says that The article highlights the vital role of recycling waste workers in Brazil. The partnership between brand VEJA and Brazilian recycling cooperatives strikes a balance where shoes are environmentally friendly without sacrificing the durability required for long life. This synergy between grassroot recycling and corporate responsibility provides blueprint for the future sustainable manufacturing.
Efficient Plastic-to-Hydrogen Conversion using Ni-POM-CdS
Author Radhakrishnan (November 2025) studied that the management of plastic waste is a critical global challenge, as traditional disposal methods like incineration and landfilling present significant environmental risks. This research highlights a shift toward photocatalytic alternatives that not only degrade waste but also produce clean energy. Using advanced catalysts and mechanical chemistry, scientists have been able to successfully break down two very different types of plastic, the popular PLA and the highly durable Teflon, into energy and industrial chemicals. These types of dual-front discoveries are a direct answer to the urgent need for sustainable and energy-efficient recycling solutions in the circular economy.
Scientific Practices in Mechanical Plastic Recycling
In this research author Subhas C shit (Jan 2024) indicates that with global municipal waste reaching 1.1 gigatons annually, mechanical recycling is essential for environmental protection. To be effective, the lifecycle of plastics must align with a circular economy, emphasizing value retention and improved consumer disposal habits. By optimizing industrial collection and sorting processes, the magnitude of plastic pollution can be significantly reduced despite the inherent technical limitations of recycling.
Assessing the Global Treaty’s Impact on the Plastic Crisis
Author Makower (July 2023) studied the United Nations is working on a plan to stop plastic waste from getting worse. They want to make a Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution that everyone has to follow. The Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution is going to deal with plastics and tiny plastic pieces that hurt the earth. It will also encourage companies to make things that can be used again and again and to take responsibility for the things they make. Some countries that really want to make a change are pushing for rules that will get rid of chemicals. The Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution is a step towards making sure that people who make plastic things are honest about what they do and that they help keep the earth clean. This is a deal because it is the first time that the whole world is working together to stop plastic waste. The United Nations and the Global Treaty, on Plastic Pollution are
Bio Life: $4M for Bio-Medical Plastic Recycling
According to Sarah Kominek (4/7/2025) BioLife Plasma Services which is a part of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. has put four million dollars into machines that can handle and recycle the bad plastic waste from the places where they collect plasma. These machines are at the collection sites. They make the bad plastic safe and cut it into little pieces. This helps a lot because it makes the waste lighter. It means they do not have to transport as much which is better for the environment. Then they send this waste to people who can make things out of it like fences, shelves and tanks for septic systems. BioLife Plasma Services and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Are doing this because they want to make sure they do not send any waste to the landfills by the year 2030. BioLife Plasma Services is working hard to recycle plastic waste from its plasma collection sites and this is a big step, towards that goal.
Blockchain’s Role in Plastic Circularity
This is a research on how blockchain technology can help with the problem of plastic waste all around the world by Micheal Peshkam and David Dubios (Nov 2019) It says that blockchain technology can really help make a difference. Start-ups are doing a bit to help with the plastic waste problem. Michael Peshkam and David Dubois think that blockchain technology can do a lot more. Blockchain technology is special because it can give value to things like plastic waste and make it easy to trade without needing a man. This means that people will be more likely to collect and recycle waste. So plastic waste can become something that people want to buy and sell. We need people to make this happen. We need people who can use blockchain technology to change the way people think and behave. We need people who can use blockchain technology to make projects that help with the plastic waste problem.
Conclusion
The above articles summary reveals a critical shift from traditional disposal toward an integrated circular economy. While India generates 26,000 MT of plastic waste daily, innovations like photocatalytic degradation and blockchain technology are redefining these pollutants as valuable industrial resources. The transition is further supported by stringent regulatory frameworks, such as India’s 2022 single-use plastic ban and the United Nations’ Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution. Furthermore, corporate-grassroots synergies, like Brazil’s recycling cooperatives, demonstrate that sustainable manufacturing can thrive without sacrificing product durability. However, the research emphasizes that technical solutions must be paired with educational programs to improve public awareness and waste segregation at the source. Ultimately, aligning industrial collection with innovative recycling practices is the only way to mitigate the long-term environmental impact of plastic waste.
References
1. Goswami, Sinmoy; Medhi, Nikita; Kalwar, Subham; Borgohain, Upasana, May 2024. Importance of Segregating Plastic from Household Municipal Solid Waste: A Perception-Based Study, IUP Journal of Operations Management. May2024, Vol. 23 Issue 2, p17-40. 24p.
2. Hiremath, Chetan V.; S. C., Patil. Application of Random Search for Stochastic Optimization of Plastic Waste Collection Network: The Case of Belagavi City, India. IUP Journal of Supply Chain Management. Mar2020, Vol. 17 Issue 1, p1-19. 19p.
3. Kominek, Sarah. Bio Life invests $4M to recycle biohazardous plastic waste. Plastics News. 4/7/2025, Vol. 36 Issue 4, p24-24. 1p.
4. Karen Laird. India to ban some single-use plastics by 2022. Plastics News. 9/13/2021, Vol. 32 Issue 25, p19-19. 1p.
5. Makower, joel. Can a global treaty solve a plastic waste crisis?. Popular Plastics & Packaging. Jul2023, Vol. 68 Issue 7, p22-25. 4p.
6. Malloy, Victoria : Johnson, Andrew D. Brazil Recycling Co-ops Are Helping Turn Plastic into Shoes. Time.com. 12/2/2024, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
7. Peshkam, Michael;Dubois, David. How blockchain can win the war against plastic waste. NZ Business + Management. Nov2019, Vol. 33 Issue 10, pM14-M15. 2p. 1 Color Photograph.
8. Radhakrishnan. Nickel-substituted polyoxometalate-CdS single-cluster photocatalysts for efficient plastic waste degradation coupled with H2 production. Popular Plastics & Packaging. Nov2025, Vol. 70 Issue 11, p31-31. 2/3p.
9. Sachdeva, meenu. Recycling of plastic waste – Mechanical, feedstock and enery recovery: A P360 White Paper. Popular Plastics & Packaging. Jun2020, Vol. 65 Issue 6, p30-35. 6p.
10. Shit, Subhas C. The Scientific Practices for mechanical recycling of plastic waste. Popular Plastics & Packaging. Oct2023, Vol. 68 Issue 10, p19-23.