Value addition to plastic solid wastes: Informal waste collectors' perspective

Bupe G. Mwanza, Charles Mbohwa, Arnesh Telukdarie, Chuks Medoh

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Plastic Solid Wastes (PSWs) recycling is an important component to sustainable manufacturing. In developing economies, the majority of the recovery and recycling is conducted by the Informal Waste Collectors (IWCs). An assessment is conducted to understand the ways in which the IWCs add value to the recovered PSWs prior trading to the plastic converting companies. A questionnaire survey is conducted with the IWCs and a total of 53 questionnaires are analysed. A number of value addition aspects are identified including; sorting, cleaning, classifying, washing and drying and grouping into commercial quantities. Buyers along the supply-chain are considered as an aspect of value addition. The identified value addition aspects are important and relevant to upcoming and existing plastic convertors in terms of driving sustainable manufacturing and value creation for a circular economy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)391-397
Number of pages7
JournalProcedia Manufacturing
Volume33
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019
Event16th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing, GCSM 2018 - Lexington, United States
Duration: 2 Oct 20184 Oct 2018

Keywords

  • Informal Waste Sector
  • Plastic Solid Wastes
  • Value Creation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Artificial Intelligence

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