IMPLEMENTATION OF THE METHOD FOR THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER WASTE RECYCLING

Industrial development leads to an increase in the volume of waste containing polymers. According to experts, about 20 % of waste is recycled, the rest enter the environment. When they enter in the environment, they turn from a valuable resource into a pollutant. At the same time, surface and underground waters, soils, atmosphere, flora and fauna are exposed to negative impacts. It is especially worth noting the negative impact that humans are exposed to. Toxic substances released during combustion of unrecycled polymer waste contain substances of the second and third hazard classes. When left in landfill conditions for a long time, polymers decompose into monomers, mainly substances of the second and third hazard classes, then the toxic substances migrate into groundwater and return to humans. There are various ways to handle polymer waste, the main disadvantages of which are high cost and labor intensity. The optimal way to deal with such waste is recycling. Polymer waste recycling allows one to partially or completely return polymer waste to operation. This approach allows not only to regulate the cost of the final product, but also to reduce the environmental impact by reducing of natural resource consumption. The article discusses a method for recycling packaging products containing polystyrene foam that have fallen into disuse. According to the developed method, polymer waste acts as a binder for the mineral filler. Due to the optimally selected composition of the composite sorbent, high adhesion and absorption capacity for petroleum products were achieved. Laboratory studies of the absorption capacity of the developed composite material proved the possibility of using it as a sorbent for the elimination and localization of oil spills. Further field studies confirmed the results obtained in laboratory conditions. The proposed method made it possible to reduce damage from environmental impacts and obtain a product used as a sorbent.