Environmentally friendly solutions to plastic bottles under the microplastic crisis

Microplastics, an invisible threat that has caused serious harm to the earth's ecology and human health, are now everywhere. In past studies, scientists have found traces of microplastics all over the deep sea, on the top of Mount Everest, and in various animals and plants. Microplastics have even been detected in human blood, placenta, and infant feces. Although microplastic particles are tiny, their potential impact on the environment, biodiversity and human health is huge.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics generally refer to plastic particles or fragments less than 5 mm in diameter. Depending on their source, microplastics can be divided into primary microplastics and secondary microplastics.

Virgin microplastics are tiny plastic particles designed and produced specifically for certain uses. They are commonly used in personal care products, detergents, cosmetics, paints, plastics, and more. Secondary microplastics are tiny plastic fragments formed by the decomposition, wear and degradation of large plastic products. They can come from plastic waste, plastic packaging, plastic containers, etc. Sizes range from nanometers to several millimeters. Among them, the land sources of microplastics are mainly poor management of landfills, sewage discharge, illegal dumping of garbage, plastic processing, production and transportation, agricultural films, etc.; the marine sources are mainly abandoned fishing gear, ships, and offshore operations from fishery and aquaculture activities. Domestic waste and maintenance waste from the platform, etc.

Where do microplastics come from?

There are many types of plastics, which can be distinguished from the outer packaging. The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) has developed a marking code, represented by numbers and triangles. Many countries use this set of logos. Common plastic materials include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polycarbonate (PC). If we see these logos on the outer packaging of the product, it means that it is made of this type of plastic.

Microplastics mainly come from the decomposition of large plastic waste, the wear and tear of textile fibers, the production and processing of plastic products, and microplastic particles in cosmetics and personal care products. These microplastic particles cannot be completely filtered by urban sewage treatment systems and will directly enter rivers and oceans to cause pollution. Tire wear will also produce microplastic particles.

Potential hazards of microplastics?

So, what exactly is the impact of microplastics on the environment and biodiversity?

First, the survival of aquatic life is directly threatened. Because microplastic particles are so small, they can easily be ingested by aquatic organisms, causing damage and poisoning. For example, organisms such as fish, marine invertebrates, and seabirds may face problems such as digestive tract obstruction, inflammation, and insufficient nutritional intake after ingesting microplastic particles in the water.

In addition, microplastics will remain in the soil for a long time, potentially affecting crops and soil ecosystems. When farmland is irrigated with sewage containing microplastics, the microplastics can enter the soil and be absorbed by crops, ultimately entering our food chain. This causes microplastics to disrupt the balance of the ecosystem and may gradually accumulate in the food chain and be passed on to higher levels of organisms. This disturbance affects the entire ecosystem, and these small particles pose a huge threat to human health.

How to reduce microplastic emissions?

In terms of waste separation and recycling, it is important to properly separate and recycle plastic waste to ensure that it does not enter the water environment. Qunfeng Heavy Industry has introduced a process from Europe for recyclable waste, especially for the recycling of plastics, which has an all-around solution for the resourcing of plastics. This process is the best choice for separating plastics, metal and electronic wastes, as well as contaminated and mixed plastic materials. Qunfeng Heavy Industries can provide tailor-made solutions for plastic recycling projects. After sorting, all kinds of plastics can be used as recycled raw materials through washing, shredding and granulation, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the content of microplastics into the environment.