Urban mining for resource recovery from legacy waste: Advancing circular economy practices for sustainable waste
Ved Prakash Ranjan1, Hari Bhakta Sharma2, Sudha Goel3
1Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, 181221, India; Environmental Engineering and Management, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal, India, 721302.
Abstract:
Legacy plastic waste in landfills poses environmental and health risks, necessitating sustainable recovery strategies. This study examines landfill mining and resource recovery by analyzing High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Characterisation techniques, including tensile testing, calorific value analysis, FTIR, and TGA, were applied to assess their recycling and energy recovery potential. LDPE and PP showed significant ageing, including up to 60 % loss in tensile strength, indicating severe degradation and limited potential for mechanical recycling. PET retained about 75 % of its tensile strength with minimal deterioration, making it suitable for recycling. HDPE exhibited moderate degradation yet remained viable for reuse. Energy assessment showed LDPE and PP have high calorific values (up to 43 MJ/kg), making them strong candidates for thermal energy recovery. PET and HDPE recorded moderate calorific values (22-30 MJ/kg), aligning with recycling suitability. Thermal degradation results further supported PET and HDPE recycling and confirmed LDPE and PP as suitable for thermal processing. Overall, the study emphasizes circular economy principles, recommending mechanical recycling for PET and HDPE and energy recovery for LDPE and PP to optimize landfill plastic recovery and sustainability.
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