The Proposes For the Use of The Cleaner Production Tool (P+L) in the Hope Plastic Solid Waste Recycling Process

Abstract

Companies, as transformers of raw materials into finished products, have great responsibility in the protection, handling and use of available natural resources. Therefore, all efforts to promote sustainable development must be prioritized. In this context, the objective of this research is to present a proposal for the use of the environmental management tool Cleaner Production (P+L), in the HDPE plastic solid waste recycling process, in the recycling unit at the Glopol factory. Through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, submitted to the Operators and the Production Supervisor of the aforementioned unit, it was possible to characterize the Glopol factory's recycling unit, and thus, find the main gaps inherent to the process, particularly in the separation operations. , washing and extrusion, which culminate in high water consumption and excessive waste generation (sludge and liquid effluent derived from the washing operation, and plastic sludge from the extrusion operation). After diagnosing the situation present at the Glopol factory, the proposal for adopting the P+L environmental management tool was presented, starting from planning and organization, to the implementation method, where it was possible to estimate that with the implementation of this tool, in recycling unit at the Glopol factory, it would be possible to reduce the water consumption of that unit by up to 25%, ensuring greater preservation of the natural resource. It was also possible to estimate that this adoption would bring a reduction of up to 40% in the waste generated, since through the adoption of the P+L tool, plastic waste would undergo sorting, and with this, the sludge generated in the washing, would be less and less. Such sludge would have a more environmentally correct destination, that is, it would be seen as a by-product of the process, and not as waste. As a result of the new reprocessing route for plastic sludge generated in the extrusion operation, operational gains were observed for Glopol, as the adoption of the P+L tool would bring a reduction in the plastic sludge reprocessing steps, and consequently in the time for this effect.