The year 2022 will be a year in which many innovations and developments will take place in the recycling industry. The most important reason for this is the latest developments and innovations in recycling technology.
According to a report in the New York Times, the Corona pandemic caused a major waste crisis. Fear of transmission of the disease has caused many recyclable materials to be thrown away. When we look at the result, we are faced with more waste and less recycling. Therefore, recycling technologies are the only thing that can provide a solution to this period of history where perhaps the most waste is in question.
Some of the latest developments and innovations in recycling technologies will be implemented immediately, and some will be implemented soon. The aim of these innovations is to make recycling more efficient and effective, and there are high hopes for them to find a solution to the waste issue that has turned into a crisis.
1. Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse
Announced in 2021, Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse focuses entirely on recycling and waste management. Significant impacts are expected in these areas with Metaverse. Metaverse reduces the need to travel and of being physically in one place.
Thanks to Metaverse, which is described as a new era in the virtual world, more people will work from home. With the necessary equipment and training, people will be able to spare time for recycling, reach the necessary resources and have the ability to realize them.
2. Plastic That Can Be Recycled
Work on recyclable plastic has been going on for years. These studies are carried out entirely with the help of cutting-edge science. Numerous experiments are being carried out to transform plastic in a sustainable way. After countless experiments, one person managed to find the way to this sustainable plastic recycling: John Layman.
With the PureCycle Technology he developed, Layman from Procter and Gamble succeeded in obtaining a reusable resin by completely purifying polypropylene from color, odor and contaminants.
The first product of this technology was a recycled plastic shower head.
3. The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is widely used in Europe. The purpose of IoT technology is to collect recycling route data. For this, sensors are installed in residential garbage bins and other garbage units. These sensors are connected with the right front-end software and data is collected where, how much, at what level and by whom recycling is done.
When considered in terms of society, with the system created by this technology, municipalities can identify residential and commercial areas that cannot reach the expected recycling rates. Thus, recycling improvement works can be carried out on the basis of cities.
4. City Recycling Programs
The ongoing, and not expected to end, pandemic conditions and the China ban have forced cities to adapt and innovate their recycling programs.
Municipalities created new resources that could finance their recycling activities, and thus taking action to realize sustainable recycling activities became common.These alternative financing sources of municipalities were created through online platforms and social media. Still, in 2022, municipalities should communicate directly with the community to provide more sustainable finance and to explain the requirements of recycling.
