Identification of plastic waste generation and composition to reduce environmental disaster risk (case study: Public facility sources in Padang City)

¹ Environmental Engineering Departement, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
² Civil Engineering Departement, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
³ Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Kanazawa University, Japan

^* Corresponding author: yenni@eng.unand.ac.id

Abstract

Plastic waste is a material that is difficult to decompose and, if not managed properly, will cause environmental pollution. The degradation of plastic waste in aquatic environments can result in microplastics that threaten marine life, while the incineration of plastic waste produces toxic gases harmful to health. This study aims to identify the generation and composition of plastic waste as an initial step in reducing environmental disaster risks. The research was conducted at public facility sources in Padang City, including parks, beaches, recreational areas, and roads. Plastic waste generation at public facility sources in Padang City amounted to 13.76 tons/day, or 6.44% of the total public facility waste. The rate of plastic waste generation was 32.93 g/person/day or 1.13 l/person/day. The composition of plastic waste was dominated by PETE plastic at 43.21% and LDPE plastic at 25.56%, with 58.88% used for beverage packaging and 36.48% for food packaging. Only 11% of respondents from public facilities sort and sell plastic waste to collectors, while the remaining plastic waste was disposed of in landfill sites mixed with other waste. This can lead to environmental disaster risks around landfills, such as water and soil pollution.