Plastic bags are simultaneously one of the worst and best inventions ever conceived by humanity. These products are cheap, easy to produce, and relatively strong. What's more, they're extremely durable. Sadly, its this durability that is plastic's greatest downfall. Objects made out of this material can take up to a thousand years to fully break down, which means that humans are going to be stuck with all of the plastic we've already made for a very long time.
As organizations and political entities begin to realize the danger plastics pose, people all over the planet have started to take action. Popular Science reported that the EU recently decided to ban single-use plastics, which would greatly cut down on one of the greatest contributors to physical waste in the world – plastic bags. These bags are generally given out at the grocery store to allow people to bring their products home, and they're generally not reused.
According to Forbes, England shoppers alone were handed 7.6 billion plastic bags in 2014. While cutting down on the production of these bags is clearly a priority, society at large needs to start thinking of was to reuse the trash we've already created. For one group of scientists, the answer was simple: turn it into fuel.
Cleaning up
Science Daily reported on a method created by scientists at Purdue University. The idea for the process is to take polyolefin waste, such as that found in plastic bags, and repurpose if for fuel and other needs. Although it is extremely complex, this method begins by melting the plastic bags down into pearl-sized pellets. Then, these pellets are melted into an oil. This oil is separated to make mixtures that resemble either gasoline or diesel, depending on the scientist's preference.
However, allowing bags to power our machines isn't the only positive aspect of this project. Purdue University researchers were also able to make a polymer out of the plastic that can be repurposed. This efficient use of recycled resources is certainly something the world needs more of, as Science Daily notes that only 9 percent of plastics are ever recycled.
This process obviously isn't going to replace traditional gasoline, but it is part of an overall conversation the scientific community is having over plastic waste. We're just know waking up to the dangers of filling our world with these products, and it makes sense to take this trash and find a new purpose for it.
