By 2050, there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans. As a temporary alternative to regulation policies on plastic manufacturing and waste disposal, energy-from-waste recovery can be implemented in order to remediate the environmental harm caused by marine plastic. The following report supplies an overview of the birth and development of plastic, conveys the political and environmental implications of its source and distribution in the ocean, and lastly, assesses plastic-use habits, awareness, and public stance on the management of plastic waste across a student body to ultimately support a sustainable cleanup solution using a shipboard plastic conversion technology. Overcoming public neglect of marine plastic pollution will be a major driver for the technology's progress.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Doherty, Sarah M.
• Alonzo, Alexander

Subject

• Innovation
• Environment
• Energy
• Sustainability
• Community
• Inclusion
• Well-Being

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-051421-181357
• 24626

Keyword

• Marine Plastic Waste
• Environment
• Renewable Energy
• Campus Awareness
• Sustainability
• Energy-From-Waste

Advisor

• Timko, Michael T.

Year

• 2021

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 3 - Good Health and Well-being
• 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
• 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
• 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
• 14 - Life Below Water
• 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Date created

• 2021-05-14

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 International