Design of an HDPE bottle collection and pre-cleaning system for recycling in Blantyre, Malawi
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Author
Date
2024-01-08Type
- Master Thesis
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Until today, around 3 billion people lack access to municipal solid waste collection. Espe- cially low-income countries struggle with mismanagement of plastic waste. Openly disposed plas- tic materials form a severe risk to humans, animals, and the environment. To mitigate the growing issue of improperly discarded plastic waste in Blantyre, Malawi, a pilot program is being estab- lished by the Chair of Global Health Engineering at ETH Zurich focusing on the collection and recycling of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles. This study is dedicated to exploring the implementation of an appropriate pre-cleaning station designed for preparing HDPE bottles for their subsequent recycling. The development process led to a thorough documentation of the user profile and the product environment, acting as an information base for improved decision-making processes. In partial collaboration with the users, a suitable design has been developed, and was subsequently prototyped. The research yielded various insights about the functionality of the sys- tem. The designed setup is not reliant on electricity and can be operated without pressurized tap water. During operation, the cleaning process uses 0.2dl of water to remove the organic contam- ination from a single pre-soaked bottle. The cleaning period of a pre-soaked bottle is estimated to last 24 seconds. Further, various optimizations of the setup were discussed, opting to ensure a smooth initiation of the HDPE recycling pilot program. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000658745Publication status
publishedPublisher
ETH ZurichSubject
Plastic recyclingOrganisational unit
09746 - Tilley, Elizabeth / Tilley, Elizabeth
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ETH Bibliography
yes
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