Waste Plastic Management Research Articles

Global stability and bifurcations in a mathematical model for the waste plastic management in the ocean

The use of plastic is very widespread in the world and the spread of plastic waste has also reached the oceans. Observing marine debris is a serious threat to the management system of this pollution. Because it takes years to recycle the current wastes, while their amount increases every day. The importance of mathematical models for plastic waste management is that it provides a framework for understanding the dynamics of this waste in the ocean and helps to identify effective strategies for its management. A mathematical model consisting of three compartments plastic waste, marine debris, and recycle is studied in the form of a system of ordinary differential equations. After describing the formulation of the model, some properties of the model are given. Then the equilibria of the model and the basic reproduction number are obtained by the next generation matrix method. In addition, the global stability of the model are proved at the equilibria. The bifurcations of the model and sensitivity analysis are also used for better understanding of the dynamics of the model. Finally, the numerical simulations of discussed models are given and the model is examined in several aspects. It is proven that the solutions of the system are positive if initial values are positive. It is shown that there are two equilibria E0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E^0$$\\end{document} and E∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E^*$$\\end{document} and if BR<1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathcal {B}}}{{\\mathcal {R}}}<1$$\\end{document}, it is proven that E0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E^0$$\\end{document} is globally stable, while when BR>1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathcal {B}}}{{\\mathcal {R}}}>1$$\\end{document}, the equilibrium E∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E^*$$\\end{document} exists and it is globally stable. Also, at BR=1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathcal {B}}}{{\\mathcal {R}}}=1$$\\end{document} the model exhibits a forward bifurcation. The sensitivity analysis of BR\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathcal {B}}}{{\\mathcal {R}}}$$\\end{document} concludes that the rates of waste to marine, new waste, and the recycle rate have most effect on the amount of marine debris.

Sustainable valorization of waste plastic into nanostructured materials for environmental, energy, catalytic and biomedical applications: A review

The extensive production and utilization of plastic products are inevitable in the current scenario. However, the non-degradable nature of waste plastic generated after use poses a grave concern. Comprehensive efforts are being made to find viable technological solutions to manage the escalating challenge of waste plastic. This review focuses on the progress made in transformation of waste plastic into value-added nanomaterials. An overview is provided of the waste plastic issue on a global level and its ecological impacts. Currently established methodologies for waste plastic management are examined, along with their limitations. Subsequently, state-of-the-art techniques for converting waste plastic into nanostructured materials are presented, with a critical evaluation of their distinct merits and demerits. Several demonstrated technologies and case studies are discussed regarding the utilization of these nanomaterials in diverse applications, including environmental remediation, energy production and storage, catalytic processes, sensors, drug delivery, bioimaging, regenerative medicine and advanced packaging materials. Moreover, challenges and prospects in the commercial level production of waste plastic-derived nanomaterials and their adoption for industrial and practical usage are highlighted. Overall, this work underscores the potential of transforming waste plastic into nanostructured materials for multifaceted applications. The valorization approach presented here offers an integration of waste plastic management and sustainable nanotechnology. The development of such technologies should pave the way toward a circular economy and the attainment of sustainable development goals.

Evolving patterns and drivers of waste plastic trade in key global economies

This study examines the global waste plastic trade, impacted by China's import ban and the COVID-19 pandemic, using post-pandemic data to analyse trade flows and project future volumes via ridge regression. From 1988 to 2022, global waste plastic exports totaled approximately 255 million tons, with major contributions from high-income regions like Europe, Asia, and North America. China emerged as the primary importer, accounting for over 50 % of global imports. The analysis highlights the growing role of smaller European exporters and increased intra-regional trade, with economic factors and oil prices significantly influencing trade dynamics. The pandemic's impact on trade was minimal, maintaining steady export levels in countries like the US and Germany. Projections suggest a minimum global export of 8.1 million tons by 2030 under the GAP scenario. The study emphasises the complexity of waste plastic management and the importance of global cooperation, providing key insights for future research.

Full valorisation of waste PET into dimethyl terephthalate and cyclic arylboronic esters

Developing efficient and cost-effective methodologies for high value-added conversion of waste plastic delivers substantial environmental and economic benefits. Herein, we develop a novel approach utilizing boric acid in the methanolysis of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to derive pure dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and boronic acid esters through in-situ capture of ethylene glycol (EG). It not only upcycles waste PET but also eliminates intricate EG purification processes. Catalyzed by magnalium-aluminum-layered double oxides (Mg4Al1-LDO), this method achieved 100 % conversions of PET with 96 % and 99 % yields of arylboronic esters and DMT, respectively. Kinetic studies and in-situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) demonstrated the pivotal role of the monodentate methoxy species, generated through the interaction of medium basic Mg–O ion pairs and methanol. This method demonstrates applicability for the upcycling of assorted discarded PET wastes, polyesters, and polycarbonates with EG units, highlighting its potential as a comprehensive solution for waste plastic management.

Physical and mechanical properties of fly ash‐based geopolymer with disposable medical mask reinforcement

AbstractA tremendous amount of the nonbiodegradable microplastic waste has been generated after the outbreak of COVID‐19 by the widespread use of single‐use personal protective equipment, especially disposable medical masks (DMMs). This has caused harm to the health and safety of human beings and various organisms. Finding a way to properly deal with these single‐use medical wastes has become an urgent problem. In this paper, an innovative way was explored to use DMMs in geopolymer (GP). The physical properties, mechanical strength, and resistance to high temperatures (200–800°C) of the composites were investigated. The findings of the study revealed that DMMs had negligible influence on resistance to high temperatures, but showed a positive influence on enhancing the compressive and flexural strengths of GPs at ambient temperature. The optimum DMMs content was 0.4 wt%, at which the compressive and flexural strengths of the GP composites were enhanced by 5.8% and 22.68% compared with the pure GP, respectively. The same polypropylene (PP) fiber amount increased compressive and flexural strengths by 7.49% and 9.76%, respectively. This thus confirmed that DMMs can be sustainably utilized in green building materials, playing a role as PP fibers toughening and contributing to the effective management of waste plastics.

Waste Plastic Management – A Step towards Circular Economy

Waste Plastic Management – A Step towards Circular Economy

Combined influence of n-butanol and ethyl hexyl nitrate on engine characteristics of the plastic oil-diesel blend fueled CI engine

Waste plastics collected over several years slowly rot in land fills and show a significant threat to the atmosphere. Through catalytic pyrolysis, hydrocarbons contained in the waste plastics may probably be transformed into plastic oil. Recycled waste plastic oil (WPO) used in CI engines provides a suitable remedy for waste plastic management. But inclusion of alcohol in WPO-Diesel blend increases the NOx emission. A four-stroke single-cylinder CI engine was used to conduct emission and performance testing. When compared to Diesel-WPO blend, results indicated that n-butanol mixing emitted lower emissions of HC, CO, smoke and higher NOx emission. The mixture of n-butanol in the fuel blend improved the brake thermal efficiency and decreased specific fuel consumption compared to the blend of WPO-diesel. The inclusion of EHN to the Diesel-WPO-n-butanol ternary blends lowered the emission of NOx up to 24%, but slightly increased the emission of CO up to 6.4%, HC up to 6.6% and smoke up to 8.7%, although the values are still lower than WPO-diesel blends. The usage of EHN in ternary fuel blends increased brake thermal efficiency (BTE) up to 1.6%. Therefore, the inclusion of oxygenated alcohol and cetane improver to WPO-diesel blend is efficient for a engine.

Life cycle assessment of filament production in distributed plastic recycling via additive manufacturing

Distributed recycling via additive manufacturing (DRAM) emphasizes an emerging approach to locally recycle waste plastic by 3D-printing it into valuable products. Although major progress has been reported in the last decade to validate the technical feasibility, and economic viability of the DRAM as an unitary operation, the environmental evaluation of this approach is still at its early stage as a distributed recycling network. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of a DRAM unit as a baseline scenario, compared to two scenarios of the virgin supply chain plastic filament used in the printing process. To achieve this goal, a comparative environmental performance using a life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to estimate the multidimensional potential impacts of virgin and recycled polylactic acid (PLA). The study takes place using a physical recycling demonstrator developed at a university in Nancy, France. Four impact categories were considered: climate change, potential eutrophication (Freshwater and Marine), resource depletion (Fossil and Water), and ion radiation. For the first three impact categories, the results demonstrate a minimum 97% reduction in environmental impact compared to a virgin supply chain. However, in terms of ion radiation, the amount of emissions is approximately 2.8 times higher than that of the virgin plastic scenario. This increase is mainly due to the specific situation in France, where most of the energy is generated using nuclear means. This study aims to expand on the environmental assessment of the plastic recycling network system to better understand the implementation of these systems for waste plastic management, which can help extend the lifetime of plastic material. The findings provide an environmental overview of the benefits and disadvantages of developing a DRAM system in a particular context.

Recent trends of plastic waste management for sustainable environment in Indian context

One of the most rapidly expanding waste streams in municipal solid waste worldwide is plastic waste. Due to their non-decaying, large quantities and difficulties in disposing of them, waste plastics have become a significant threat to the environment. India has ranked 12th among the countries with improper management of waste plastics, but it is projected that it will be ranked 5th by the year 2025. Energy recuperation from pyrolysis of plastic waste in the form of liquid fuel is acquiring fascination overall by meeting the difficulties of energy security and natural assurance. A brief overview about the conversion of different types of plastic waste into fuel and summary of the results emphasising the utilization of fuel as a replacement of diesel is presented in this paper. The different operating parameters of pyrolysis process, their impact on yield, constraints of the implementation in large scale of this technology and recent technological advancements have been covered in this review. The review has also discussed the Indian government policies on plastic waste management, challenges and future scope.

A Review Conversation of Waste Plastics into Fuel

Due to the current continued use of fossil fuels such as crude oil, natural gas and coal, the current economic growth rate is unstable. Therefore, renewable energy sources are being exploited, but some resources, such as plastic waste, need to be developed into a full- fledged economic activity. Pyrolysis is a process which involves thermochemical decomposition of organic matter at high temperature (&gt;370◦C) in the absence of oxygen. Products of this process are Pyrolysis Oil, Carbon Black, and Hydrocarbons. This review paper is focusing the most efficient and widely used method of converting plastics to fuels: ‘Pyrolysis’ and its effectiveness on resolving the both issues of waste plastic management and the requirement of a good alternative fuel for use. Key Words: Plastic wastes, Decomposition, pyrolysis, fuel

Modeling of Mexican Hat Wavelet Neural Network with L-BFGS Algorithm for Simulating the Recycling Procedure of Waste Plastic in Ocean

In the global economy, plastics are considered a versatile and ubiquitous material. It can reach to marine ecosystems through diverse channels, such as road runoff, wastewater pathways, and improper waste management. Therefore, rapid mitigation and reduction are required for this ever-growing problem. The marine habitats are believed to be the highest emitters and absorbers of O2 and CO2 respectively. As such, every day, the prominence of managing the litter in the ocean is growing effectively and efficiently. One of the most significant challenges in oceanography is creating a comprehensive meshless algorithm to handle the mathematical representation of waste plastic management in the ocean. This research dedicates to studying the dynamics of waste plastic management model governed by a mathematical representation depending on three components viz. Waste plastic (W), Marine litter (M) and Recycling of debris (R), i.e., WMR model. In this regard, an unsupervised machine learning approach, namely Mexican Hat Wavelet Neural Network (MhWNN) refined by the efficient Limited-memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm (L-BFGS), i.e., MhWNN-LBFGS model has been implemented for handling the non-linear phenomena of WMR models. Besides, the obtained solution is meshfree and compared with the state-of-art numerical result to establish the precision of the MhWNN-LBFGS model. Furthermore, different global statistical measures (MAPE, TIC, RMSE, and ENSE) have been computed at twenty testing points to validate the stability of the proposed algorithm.

Conversion of Polyethylene to High-Yield Fuel Oil at Low Temperatures and Atmospheric Initial Pressure.

The transformation of waste plastics into fuels via energy-efficient and low-cost pyrolysis could incentivize better waste plastic management. Here, we report pressure-induced phase transitions in polyethylene, which continue to heat up without additional heat sources, prompting the thermal cracking of plastics into premium fuel products. When the nitrogen initial pressure is increased from 2 to 21 bar, a monotonically increasing peak temperature is observed (from 428.1 °C to 476.7 °C). At 21 bar pressure under different atmosphere conditions, the temperature change driven by high-pressure helium is lower than that driven by nitrogen or argon, indicating that phase transition is related to the interaction between long-chain hydrocarbons and intercalated high-pressure medium layers. In view of the high cost of high-pressure inert gases, the promotion or inhibition effect of low-boiling hydrocarbons (transitioning into the gaseous state with increasing temperature) on phase transition is explored, and a series of light components are used as phase transition initiators to replace high-pressure inert gases to experiment. The reason that the quantitative conversion of polyethylene to high-quality fuel products is realized through the addition of 1-hexene at a set temperature of 340 °C and the initial atmospheric pressure. This discovery provides a method for recycling plastics by low energy pyrolysis. In addition, we envisage recovering some of the light components after plastic pyrolysis as phase change initiators for the next batch of the process. This method is able to reduce the cost of light hydrocarbons or high-pressure gas insertion, reduce heat input, and improve material and energy utilization.

Experimental and feasibility study on nano blended waste plastic oil based diesel engine at various injection pressure: A value addition for disposed plastic food containers

Fuel obtained from waste plastic has been used in this study due to the lavish consumption, and non-stop price hiking made the researchers focus on finding a suitable substitute for conventional fuel. The plastics were non-biodegradable, and also its continuous usage in our daily life together created awareness about waste plastic management among us. With this, plastic oil could be a promising alternative fuel and also solves the issue of seating waste plastics in landfills. Even though plastic oil has a closer calorific value and viscosity to diesel, its volatility is less than diesel. In order to improve its volatility, a titanium dioxide oxide nanoparticle of 50 ppm, 100 ppm, and 150 ppm was doped. A single-cylinder diesel engine's performance, emission, and combustion phenomena were tested with nano blended waste plastic oil at three different fuel injection pressure of 210, 230 and 250 bar, respectively and the results were analyzed. An improvement in engine characteristics was recorded for nanoparticle blended fuels. High nozzle opening pressure improves the spray penetration inside the engine cylinder, promoting the combustion quality. The study concluded that blending 150 ppm Titanium-dioxide with waste plastic oil would be a suitable alternative for diesel engines operating at 230 bar of injection pressure.

Current scenario and challenges of plastic pollution in Bangladesh: a focus on farmlands and terrestrial ecosystems.

Plastic is considered one of the most indispensable commodities in our daily life. At the end of life, the huge ever-growing pile of plastic waste (PW) causes serious concerns for our environment, including agricultural farmlands, groundwater quality, marine and land ecosystems, food toxicity and human health hazards. Lack of proper infrastructure, financial backup, and technological advancement turn this hazardous waste plastic management into a serious threat to developing countries, especially for Bangladesh. A comprehensive review of PW generation and its consequences on environment in both global and Bangladesh contexts is presented. The dispersion routes of PW from different sources in different forms (microplastic, macroplastic, nanoplastic) and its adverse effect on agriculture, marine life and terrestrial ecosystems are illustrated in this work. The key challenges to mitigate PW pollution and tackle down the climate change issue is discussed in this work. Moreover, way forward toward the design and implementation of proper PW management strategies are highlighted in this study.

Numerical and Stability Investigations of the Waste Plastic Management Model in the Ocean System

This study investigates the solution of an ocean waste plastic management system model. The model is represented by a nonlinear system which is divided into three compartments: the waste plastic materials W(τ), marine debris M(τ), and the process of recycling R(τ). These compartments form a simulated model that is solved using two collocation techniques based on a shifted version of the Morgan-Voyce (MV) functions, while the first matrix collocation procedure is directly applied to the given model, in the second approach we fuse the technique of quasilinearization together with the shifted MV (SMV) collocation strategy. Moreover, we give the basic reproduction number and discuss the existence of equilibria and the local stability of equilibria are investigated. The basic definitions of the SMV polynomials are introduced and detailed convergence analysis of the related power series expansion in both weighted L2 and L∞ norms are presented. Diverse numerical simulations are performed to prove the accurateness and effectiveness of the presented approaches and the results ate illustrated through tables and figures.

A critical review on pyrolysis method as sustainable conversion of waste plastics into fuels

Plastic production has increased globally, and many of these plastic items are no longer in use. The plastic wastes end up as garbage, disposed of in landfills, or scattered, posing major health and environmental risks. In terms of sustainability, converting plastic trash into fuels or any other better option, individual monomers, is a far more environmentally friendly waste management option than landfill dumping. Nearly 1.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic are produced annually as businesses strive to meet the demands of consumers. Plastic is made through a process called polymerization, in which hydrocarbons are rearranged into new molecules. These hydrocarbons often have a high molecular mass, and they may also contain other chemicals to boost their performance. Plastic is a useful material because, among other things, it is durable, lasts a long time, is inexpensive, and has many other benefits. Because plastic can take decades to degrade if left alone, effective waste plastic disposal should be a top priority for every-one. Yet, growing industrialization and urbanization have contributed to a discernible rise in fuel demand. Finding renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels is now a critical global priority. Plastics-to-gasoline conversion provides a means to solve both of these problems. By applying intense heat (more than 370 °C) and an oxygen-free environment, pyrolysis thermochemically decomposes organic materials. The byproducts of pyrolysis are carbon black, hydrocarbons, and pyrolysis oil. This review focuses on pyrolysis as it is the most popular and efficient method for turning polymers into fuels in comparison with other methods. This review comprises the knowledge of different types of plastics and their properties. The major discussion was focused on pyrolysis methods for recycling plastics. To have better knowledge competitive recycling method were discussed. The optimization parameter for recycling process, by-products of plastics, advantages and disadvantages of pyrolysis process are discussed to identify the drawbacks and research gaps. The pyrolysis method are potential for addressing waste plastic management and highlights the need for a reliable alternative fuel source.

Conversion of mixed waste plastic into fuel for diesel engines through pyrolysis process: A review

During the last decade, massive production of plastic materials causes a significant amount of waste. This growing trend in waste plastic, and the related negative effect on environment raised many concerns leading to propose different solutions for its disposal, recycle and re-use. Among different methods, landfilling, incineration and mechanical recycling are more conventional, however due to their environmental problems or economic issues, they would not be the best solutions for waste plastic management. The paper presents a review of a more effective process to recover the energy contained in these materials, with a focus of their use for producing fuel thorough the pyrolysis process. This conversion process does not only represent an environmentally friendly solution for the management of waste plastics, but also allows producing a liquid product which can be used for several energy-related applications. The focus of this review paper is to identify an optimum approach for production of maximum waste plastic pyrolysis oil with the characteristic similar to diesel fuel through investigation on various previous studies in this area. To reach this target, a review of the recent studies related to pyrolysis of waste plastics was carried out, and the main parameters affecting the liquid product yield were investigated. Then, the quality of several waste plastic oil (WPO) was compared to the conventional diesel fuels, based on the information reported about their physico-chemical properties, and their application in the diesel engine based on the parameters such as combustion, performance, and emission have been studied.

Plastics Flow Analysis for Korea, 2017-2019

As one of the world''s top producers and top consumers of plastics, Korea has been experiencing problems with regard to the management of waste plastics since 2018, such as collection service disruptions, illegal abandonment and exports of waste, and marine pollution. To gain a complete understanding of Korea''s contemporary management of plastics, this study quantified national plastic flows across production, use, and end-of-life management between 2017 and 2019. In 2017, Korea produced 17.5 million metric tons of plastic resins, more than half of which was exported, and consumed 7 million metric tons of plastic products including 3.2 million metric tons of packaging. On a per-capita basis, Korea''s plastic consumption and waste generation were higher than that of other major economies, such as Japan, China, the United States, and Europe, which implies considerable potential for plastic consumption reduction. Despite the high level of waste generation, Korea has increased the level of material recycling while minimizing the landfill rate by implementing various policies, such as waste levies, voluntary agreements, and extended producer responsibility. For more sustainable plastic management, Korea must make additional efforts to reduce plastic consumption and promote high-quality recycling, for example through circular design, business models with less packaging, and advanced technologies.

Environmental impact of waste plastic pyrolysis oil on insulated piston diesel engine with methoxyethyl acetate additive

The energy recovery from waste plastics as a prospective fuel source helps to overcome the issues of waste plastic management and the growing fuel shortage. In this article, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastics are used to convert into waste plastic pyrolysis oil (WPPO) through the pyrolysis process. An experimental investigation is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of WPPO in a Thermal Barrier Coated piston engine (TBC) with an oxygenated additive of Methoxyethyl acetate (MEA). The incremental ratio of WPPO to pure diesel with the addition MEA and its performance, combustion, and emission characteristics are studied in a direct injection single-cylinder low heat rejection diesel engine. MEA and the coated piston resulted in improved performance of WPPO. Brake-specific fuel consumption is reduced by up to 9% under various load situations. D70W20MEA10 shows carbon monoxide elimination of up to 15% under various load conditions and a hydrocarbon reduction of up to 16%. At half load, D70W20MEA10 produces about 3% less HSU of smoke.

Raman technology application for plastic waste management aligned with FAIR principle to support the forthcoming plastic and environment initiatives

Plastic production and worldwide use of plastic materials have continued to rise due to their convenience and excellent marketing advantages. This is generating an environmental crisis and global scale pollution which is one of the greatest threats to our planet. One of the best responses could be accomplished by improving recycling and waste management strategies. In this paper we conducted Raman analyses of representative stock of plastics aged in terrestrial or aquatic environments spanning in age up to 15 years. We aimed to establish any potential influence of the aging conditions on the Raman signature of specific plastics. This information is further used to build up a Raman logic gate for automatic sorting of plastic waste recovered from environment. Pigments and aging introduced indeed small changes in the Raman signature of the respective plastics. However, we were able to identify unique spectral ranges characteristic for the main plastic types and intensity threshold of fingerprint bands sufficiently strong for building robust Raman barcodes for sorting. Waste plastics Raman data handling and the proposed methodology for sorting complies with the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability) principles of scientific data, being useful for researchers, policymakers and stakeholders. Our spectral characterization of solid plastic waste comes in support of improved waste plastic management and could have economic and environmental positive impact.