What are the potential consequences of the joint collection of plastic products, and how can we prevent them?

Abstract

The joint collection and recycling of plastic packaging and other plastic products from households is expected to increase the amount of collected and recycled plastic waste. However, at the same time, it may cause negative impacts on the current plastic circulation. According to our interview surveys to municipalities and mechanical recycling companies, various products are considered to cause negative impacts on plastic circulation, such as by stopping the collection or separation of plastic waste. Potential measures to them are to restrict the plastic products to be collected and to modify the collection and separation methods of plastic waste. However, tradeoffs may occur due to the measures, notably the decrease in the amount of collected plastic waste or the increase in plastic waste management costs. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures and their combinations based on the amount of collected and recycled plastic waste as well as waste management cost.