Introduction
The team created an interview series with various local industries within Kingston, Ontario. Our Outreach Team members created sets of questions to share with who they were interviewing with. These questions were guided to seek advice with how the specific sustainable development goal is relevent to Project ReCircuit, or in general with the theme of the team's work. The information collected from these interviews were developed as targets for the four sustainable development goals: SDG #11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG #12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG #13 - Climate Action, and SDG #14 - Protection of Seas and Oceans.
SDG #11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities:
- To achieve sustainable cities and communities, a significant transformation of the way urban spaces are built and managed (United Nations, n.d). Efforts must be dedicated to executing inclusive, durable, and sustainable urban development practices that highlight access to essential amenities, inexpensive accommodations, proficient transportation, and green spaces for everybody.
- According to the United Nations in the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023, 1.3 billion urban residents are living in slums, 2 billion more are expected in the next 30 years, and 3 in 4 cities have less than 20% of their area dedicated to public spaces and streets.
Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services.
Municipal governments manage the collection, recycling, composting, and disposal of household waste, while provincial and territorial authorities establish waste reduction policies and programs, approve, and monitor waste management facilities and operations (CITE). This makes waste management a basic service that should be available to everyone. Our project recircuit focuses on creating a more environmentally friendly way to recycle plastic, by creating a better method of recycling not just all will be able to have access to this basic service, but also the existing ones can be improved. Our projects focus on breaking down PET, which is the one waste fraction that would be of greatest interest because it has the highest value in terms of recovery, but it's also one of the more problematic because it's out there everywhere (Miller Waste, 2023). As Ontario landfills specifically are reaching capacity our project aims to decrease the amount of plastic that enters the landfills as well as helps reduce the landfill waste that is already present.
Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage.
There are currently 20 properties in Canada that are listed as world heritage sites where 10 of them are natural parks (UNESCO World Heritage Convention, n.d). Plastic pollution is a serious threat to our ecosystems. Canada's natural parks are diverse ecosystems where a wide variety of organisms reside. Major types of plastic such as PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) with PHB (Polyhydroxy butyrate) contribute directly to the deterioration of these heritage sites by entering the ecosystem through waterbodies and other human movement. Less than 11 per cent of Canada's plastics get recycled. The rest end up in our landfills, lakes, parks, and oceans, destroying ecosystems (Environmental Defence, 2018). Our project's goal is to create an efficient way to recycle plastic that will improve environmental conditions which will then help to preserve and protect these heritage sites.
Target 11.6: Reduce adverse per capita environmental impact of cities.
Physical recycling has essentially reached its limits, with only one or two available processes for plastics and three to five for paper products. Despite the existence of valuable end markets, the current recycling capacity falls far short of the materials in need of processing. Landfills are not only filling up rapidly with non-recyclable items but also with recyclables, such as plastic waste. Introducing a biological recycling system has the potential to address this issue by efficiently breaking down these materials, reducing the strain on landfills. Furthermore, bio-recycling would unlock a wide array of new opportunities in end markets, reducing the reliance on virgin materials and transforming the waste management system into a sustainable, closed-loop cycle. (Circular Materials Ontario, 2023). Plastic is a permanent presence in our lives, but there is an opportunity to develop plastic products that retain their beneficial properties while degrading rapidly and/or can be efficiently taken and reused through advanced technologies. By achieving this, we can implement better control over the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and harness these materials constructively and sustainably (Miller Waste, 2023)
SDG #12 - Responsible Consumption and Production:
- Aims to promote responsible consumption and production by encouraging sustainable resource use, waste reduction, and mitigating production-related environmental impacts.
- Involves reducing single-use plastics and supporting sustainability throughout the plastic lifecycle, with governments urged to enact policies for plastic waste reduction and businesses encouraged to adopt eco-friendly practices.
- Achieving SDG 12 requires global cooperation and partnerships among governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals for a more sustainable and equitable future.
Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
Ontario is in a crisis. We have about 10 years remaining landfill capacity. Landfills are typically measured by contours, as opposed to tonnage. If material degrades, the topography of that landfill will drop which creates more airspace. If a plastic finds its way into a landfill and can break down at a rapid rate, then that creates more airspace. Regarding PET plastic, landfills in Ontario all must have gas recovery systems. If PET plastic can break down and contribute to producing biogas that can be captured and used, that would be a phenomenal achievement. If it does not break down in a reasonable length of time, it's just going to sit there in that landfill and add more harmful plastics into the environment. (Miller Waste Systems, 2023) The end goal is to use every single product and additive within the end life cycle process, starting from the retailers to the producers and moving down the chain from the consumer to the garbage bin and transfer station, then to the recycling facility. Project Recircuit can become a central piece within that cycle if applied properly. It would be more so end of life management rather than at the beginning of the cycle. (W2RO, 2023)
Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
+ Target 12.8: Ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
Project Recircuit aims to extend the lifecycle of plastic products and reduce the need for new resources. This includes efforts to consumer awareness and action. A lot of compostable plastics that manufacturers market as bio-recyclable do not break down quickly enough to be truly compostable. In today's technology, anaerobic digestion is the most prevalent form of treating organics. However, compostable materials are only put in a digester for a period of 45 days although they may require up to 75 days to break down in that environment. (Miller Waste Systems, 2023). There is also a lack of understanding about the difference between physical and biological recycling. In the legislative framework that we are working under, bio recycling is not identified as a recycling technology. Currently, plastic must be physically recycled or composted for it to be considered a diversion. We need to start expanding our idea of what recycling can be. It does not necessarily mean that a material is going to be turned into a new product. It could mean that it has been broken down into its component items and rebuilt into a positive end market item. (Circular Materials Ontario, 2023)
SDG #13 - Climate Action:
- Emphasizes the call to action for countries to integrate climate change measures and strengthen policies and planning towards climate-related hazards and natural disasters. In addition, it is important to educate and bring awareness to mitigate climate change and country's abilities to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
- The overall goal is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Canada by roughly 45% by 2030, and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (Canada, 2023).
- Actions to strengthen the climate plan in Canada include: cutting energy waste, more affordable clean energy transportation, keeping communities pollution free, influencing clean industrial practices, and embracing natural energy into Canadian communitiesn it is not without consequences. Plastic is an incredible product for countless industries, as it is very durable and versatile; however, it's also not easily degradable. Moreover, the ease and affordability of plastic production make it difficult to rationalize recycling plastic. These are just a couple of the factors as to why only 9% of plastic is recycled in Canada (Canada, 2023). Plastic constantly escapes into the environment, such that each week, we consume an average of 5g of plastic - about a credit card's worth (Francis, 2022)! To improve recycling methods, we were inspired to create project Recircuit.
Target 13.1: Educational Awareness - Reconstructing the frame of Reduce,Reuse, Recycle
Ultimately, plastic is an issue that needs to be reduced completely but is likely never going to be eliminated from the supply chain. Although the recycling process is important, a greater emphasis on reducing our waste should be advertised. The issue arises when companies collect all recycled materials in the same box, or variants of plastic are mixed together and are no longer recyclable. The promotion of the differences within recycling should be educated appropriately.
Little initiatives can be helpful if recycling plastics seem to be a leading issue. Using reusable sources of plastic or choosing glass over plastic can be simple methods to reduce daily plastic usage. Many grocery markets have been pushing for reusable bags and require you to pay for plastic disposable bags. Simple awareness through avoiding habitual lifestyles can go a long way in protecting the global crisis of plastic.
SDG #14 - Protection of Seas and Oceans:
- Life underwater is a blue ocean full of treasure. Directly or indirectly, it provides society with food, jobs, medicine, transport, and entertainment (United Nations, n.d). As for the science side, it gives us the essential oxygen and freshwater we need, as well as regulating many ecosystems, species, and even the climate. We, as humans, have left our mark. Whether it be plastic, waste, air pollution, all leading to climate change, it jeopardizes the ocean's ability to do all the jobs it's supposed to do.
- According to the United Nations, if current trends continue, by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, by weight. Every single species' life underwater is affected by plastic pollution, whether by affecting its habits, by consumption, or by getting entangled in it.
Target 14.1: Reduce Marine Pollution
Currently, there are many different types of plastics that make it difficult to be recycled. A lot of plastic waste cannot be handled by current recycling technology, especially if it's contaminated with mixed polymers. In addition, some of these different varieties have toxicity risks, making it unrecyclable. All the many stages of trying to recycle these plastics have a negative effect economically and environmentally (Judith, 2022). As a result, many of our recycled plastics make their way into the streams underwater. Therefore, our main goal is to find an efficient and environmentally friendly method for recycling plastic. To reduce marine pollution, our project focuses on biological methods, similar to the project in OpenPlastic. This means using microbes and enzymes that help recycle plastic, or breaking it back into monomers or simply degrade it completely. This can let us upcycle it back into compounds we can use (diCenzo, 2023).
Target 14.2: Protect and Restore Ecosystems
Currently, there are many different types of plastics that make it difficult to be recycled. A lot of plastic waste cannot be handled by current recycling technology, especially if it's contaminated with mixed polymers. In addition, some of these different varieties have toxicity risks, making it unrecyclable. All the many stages of trying to recycle these plastics have a negative effect economically and environmentally (Judith, 2022). As a result, many of our recycled plastics make their way into the streams underwater. Therefore, our main goal is to find an efficient and environmentally friendly method for recycling plastic. To reduce marine pollution, our project focuses on biological methods, similar to the project in OpenPlastic. This means using microbes and enzymes that help recycle plastic, or breaking it back into monomers or simply degrade it completely. This can let us upcycle it back into compounds we can use (diCenzo, 2023).
Target 14.3: Reduce Ocean Acidification
With more plastic waste underwater, it stimulates algae growth by delivering excess nutrients to the ecosystem. Upon the death of these algae, they release CO2 into the water, making the ocean's pH lower, or resulting in greater acidification (Gray, 2021). They are particularly harmful to marine organisms with shells (corals, crustaceans, molluscs, etc) since they need carbonate ions to build their shells and skeletons (Gray, 2021). Although the polymer in plastic may not be harmful itself, it can carry toxic compounds that can alter our ocean's pH. With our project of replacing new plastic with reused plastic in a way, it can help with this issue. Since PET is the most recyclable plastic, it gives us many ways to tackle the microbes and enzymes within it.