Abstract
<p>Along with population and urbanization in developing countries, the amount of municipal solid waste generated is also increasing. Although programs and initiatives to recycle and manage waste can often be found in the major population centers, these technologies are slow to spread to or are not yet present in the rural areas. Heavily populated urban slums are also lacking in the infrastructure needed to collect and manage trash, particularly plastic packaging. To address this challenge, the University of Kentucky Appropriate Technology and Sustainability (UKATS) research team has developed an appropriate technology based, sustainable solution to convert plastic from Municipal Solid Waste, such as High/Low Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polystyrene into a valuable hydrocarbon fuel, suitable for underdeveloped or poverty stricken communities. The UKATS Processor is designed as a waste minimization solution specifically for underdeveloped communities, comprised of a simple, non-automated, multifunctional processor built using a wood fueled rocket stove as the primary heat source. This processor is designed using the principles of appropriate technology and sustainability and can be constructed using non-standard materials commonly present in rural or underdeveloped areas. This research focuses on utilizing plastic waste to produce a fuel oil product similar to kerosene or diesel in composition.</p>
Highlights
1.1 The Waste Plastic ProblemOne of the biggest challenges facing developing countries is achieving economic growth in a manner that is socially and environmentally responsible
Before the fuel oil produced by the University of Kentucky Appropriate Technology and Sustainability (UKATS) Processor can be recommended as a substitute for petroleum based fuels, it is important to ensure that its quality is similar to plastic derived liquid fuels produced in a laboratory setting
To compare the composition of the fuel oil produced during the field trials with petro fuels, a gas chromatograph (GC) model 7820A from Agilent Technologies was utilized
Summary
1.1 The Waste Plastic ProblemOne of the biggest challenges facing developing countries is achieving economic growth in a manner that is socially and environmentally responsible. In rapidly growing countries like India, westernization has brought increased standards of living to much of the population. This improvement has been disproportionately centered in urban areas. During the recent decade industrialization, migration from rural areas, urbanization, uncontrolled consumption and population growth were the causes of increasing waste and the rise of the waste management problems in developing countries (Kalanatarifard and Yang, 2012). Accounts for 20-30% by volume and 10-12% by weight of MSW, which makes it the third largest contributor after food and paper (Singh, 2016). This is due to its convenience in manufacturing and variety of applications in packing, agriculture, automobile industry, construction materials, electricity and electronics (Pinto et al, 1999; Singh, 2016)
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