With the aim to improve upon the current situation, reduce plastic waste going to landfill or released into the environment, and recover resources, in this study we quantify the amounts of agricultural plastic waste (APW) and medical plastic waste (MPW) generated, identify their main constituents, analyze current management practices, and provide recommendations.
Specifically, we quantify APW by collecting data through surveys and interviews with farmers, counties, and recycling companies, and by developing a prediction model of APW generation using a multiple regression analysis with the farm area and revenue as independent variables, and the quantity of APW generated as dependent variable. Drawing information from surveys and interviews, we identify challenges associated with management practices and recycling of APW.
Regarding medical plastic waste (MPW), we present current information on the status of plastic usage, MPW characteristics, generation, and disposal in NYS. We quantify MPW using data from hospital medical waste generation reports and from literature, and we highlight the main factors influencing MPW generation and contamination.