RECYCLING SHIPS' PLASTIC WASTE

Society is currently plagued by the disposal of post consumer plasti c waste products which represent 30% by volume of the National solid waste stream. The Navy has particular problems when a vessel is at sea with several thousand men consuming foods and beverages contained in plastic. The plastic waste volume becomes both a sanitation and storage problem. At sea, dumping is no longer permitted due to the potential pollution, destruction of sea life. A novel technique to reduce this particular type of long lived waste is the Solvent Based Plastics Recycling Process (SBPRP), in which large volumes of waste plastics are directly reduced five hundred percent in volume and converted to a moldable or extrudable material. Recent results based on extensive experimentation and testing have shown that solvent reduced post consumer waste plastics yield a highly durable product comparable in strength characteristics to a hard wood. By modifying the process IRC has developed a concrete-like material with one-half the density of concrete (75 lbs/cu. ft.) and greater compressive strength (32,000 psi). The object of this endeavor is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solvent based plastics recycling process and to show that direct reclamation of the densified form of plastic waste produced by the Navy's Plastics Processor can be economically attractive. Early experimentation has indicated that little washing and no separation is required prior to shredding comingled plastics. Unlike current plastics recycling techniques, the SBPRP appears to be very attractive economically, environmentally and socially.