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Research Proposal
On
GROUP 5
Fenol, Khing
Manalo, Jhane
Manuel, Princess
Marti, Benedick
Rubio, Rhenna
Taladua, Lica
Sachet Disposal 1
Abstract
terephthalate, and aluminum in a sandwich laminate form. Sachets have made quality
products such as shampoos, toothpastes, lotions, and ready-to-eat food and beverages
affordable for the low-income consumers. In spite of these lifestyle changing contributions
been observed that sachets are adding up to the increasing volume of solid wastes in
landfills. Moreover, the fact that sachets are multi-layered plastics has made its disposal
even more challenging. The immediate objective of this research project is to develop an
ecological disposal method for sachets. This research focuses on sachets produced by
Unilever Phils, Inc. The research project has constructed sachet disposal method through
incineration with energy recovery. The sachets are first subjected to separation process
And then they will undergo incineration process includes the use of lime scrubbers capable
of removing acidic combustion products. The fuel gases produced are then tested for
presence of harmful components such as dioxins and furans. The gases are evaluated by
the Department of Natural Resources and the National Solid Waste Commission. This
research work will give rise to public understanding regarding the environmental impact of
sachets, will essentially improve solid waste management in the Philippines, and will allow
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Plastic is almost everywhere, and the growing rate of plastic pollution is even
worsened due to the rising consumption and population growth. Plastic pollution has
increasingly becoming a major nuisance and poses significant threats to the entire
environment leading to land, air, and water pollution. Plastics also impacts the natural
environment and has grave consequences for humans, wildlife, and plants since they
Plastic is a polymeric materialthat is, a material whose molecules are very large,
links. No one exactly knows how long plastic takes to break down, but it is believed to take
hundreds or even thousands of years. It is not just the accumulation of plastics that harms
the environmentit is also the fragments and toxins released during photo-decomposition
Plastics are used as packaging materials such as plastic sachets. Unilever, the
consumer goods giant behind brands that are using plastic sachets in their products. The
company sells billions of products in single-use sachets each year, including cosmetics
and food products, particularly in developing and emerging markets. From shampoo and
toothpaste to detergent powder and instant coffee, plastic sachets are a common form of
packaging in developing countries that have made household goods affordable for people
with limited disposable income. But with hundreds of billions of them thrown away every
year, these lightweight plastic sachets have become an environmental nuisance, clogging
Sachet Disposal 3
drains and polluting public spaces. It also contributes a great amount in municipal wastes.
And is difficult to recycle because sachets are fabricated out of thin film of plastics and
aluminum in a sandwich laminate form for longer shelf life and leakage counteract.
Based on these problems, our research paper aims to dispose completely the
plastic sachets by incineration with energy recovery without harming our environment and
at the same time to produce energy that will help the people in the community.
sachets produced by Unilever without violating any laws in relation to the proper disposal
General Objective: To develop a way to dispose plastic sachets that will not harm the
Specific Objectives:
8749 (The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999), RA 9003 (The Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act of 2000) and RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Act
of 1990).
The discovery of plastics has tremendously changed lives from around the world.
It has been the greatest achievement of mankind. But as the newly-found packaging
technique granted convenient life to both the consumer and the producer since profitable
economy has been made possible for the manufacturing industries just by repacking their
products into tiny parcels, sachets are observed of be a major contributor to the
Unilever Philippines, Inc. that can be used to solve the plastic problem. The beneficiaries
The researchers will become a better individual after achieving the goal of this
study. They will be recognized for having a study that would help the community.
This study will help the government to reduce or to fully unravel the problems with
plastics. The benefits of this research study to the government include the reduction of the
amount of solid wastes and pollution due to inadequate solid waste management. This
study will also benefit them by minimizing the area allotted to a landfill that can be used for
a different purpose.
There is no question that sachets have brought better quality products to different
communities but the problem is that waste volumes are projected to grow worldwide as
adoption of these sachet products increases. However, with the help of this study, they
will not worry anymore about the clogging of creeks and canals that will be a reason of
flood.
Sachet Disposal 5
The students could get further information regarding the disposal of plastic sachets
that can eliminate pollution. It also inform the students about the advancement of the
technology of modern days. Lastly, this study can encourage them to perform a study that
The development of this method of plastic sachet disposal will be able to make the
environment cleaner and greener, prevent break out of health diseases, avoid flooding,
and reduce the uses of the land for other, more useful purposes.
The main focus of this project was the ecological disposal of plastic sachets
produced by the company, Unilever, in the Philippines. These sachets are composed of
three layers: the Polyethylene, aluminum, and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Factors
such as the chemical properties of the layers and the inks printed on its packaging were
considered for this certain process of disposal. Essentially, the environmental legislations
like the RA 8749 (The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999) and RA 9003 (The Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000) declared by the government were a huge influence to the
leading of this project. As for the method, plastic sachets are first subjected to undergo
layer separation whereas the material is heated and shredded to produce delamination.
Subsequently, materials will undergo a reactor for incineration for energy recovery. This
proposed method is exclusive for plastic sachet produced by Unilever should the material
CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Products from companies such as Unilever are readily available to the public since
the introduction of sachet containers. Small markets and stores sell these small packs of
both food and non-food products instead of the larger variety to accommodate to a wider
market range. In a third world country, like the Philippines, these small packs of goods are
more patronized as majority of the people cannot afford to buy the larger ones. However,
when these goods get used up, the discarded sachet becomes a major problem when it
Sachet Disposal 7
comes to municipal solid waste. According to the National Solid Waste Management
Status Report (2008-2014) done by the Environmental Management Bureau under the
10.55% by weight to the total municipal solid waste. Also, according to a study conducted
by the World Bank, municipal solid wastes generated in the Philippine cities will go up by
165 percent to 77,776 tons per day from 29,315 tons (2012) as a consequence of a
invented a three-step process which was able to separate a base plastic from another
plastic separated by a layer of an adhesive plastic. After washing, the material is first
which is within 67 80 C, and TC 20 C. This can be carried out by any known means
such as lamps or resistances emitting infrared radiation. The material is then shredded by
being subjected to shearing at the same temperature as the first stage. This starts the
delamination and converts the materials into particles of small dimensions of two types:
one is mostly the base plastic (PE), and the other is the secondary plastic with the
adhesive plastic (PET and aluminum). The particles are then charged, for example, by
subjecting them to friction via fluidized bed. They can now then be separated by letting
them pass through two deflecting electrodes with continuous and high potential difference.
conducted a study on the separation of aluminum and polyesters such as PET. The
about 200 C in 60 min. Subsequent liquid-solid product separation was conducted, and
Sachet Disposal 8
the solid product was examined in thermogravimetry analyzer to obtain the remaining
plastic in the aluminum part. It was observed that the aluminum-plastic separation yield
better result at higher temperature of 225 C. The plastic content in the aluminum part was
reduced to 25 % of its original, and the aluminum part became brittle and having higher
With the components of sachet now separated, individual disposal methods for
article posted 2009, incineration was conducted without separating materials causes harm
to the environment. This un-separated waste was not free from bulky and recyclable
materials, even. This resulted in risk for plant workers health and environment.
Extension, plastics, which include contaminated LDPE film, have a higher energy
value and heat content than most municipal solid waste materials. While taking up
seven percent of the waste stream by weight and 20 percent by volume, plastics
provide incinerators with 25 percent of the recoverable MSW energy. For example, a
pound of polyethylene supplies 19,000 Btu, but corrugated paper packaging provides
only 7,000 Btu. Because of their high Btu content, plastics can be incinerated as a
municipal solid waste or used as a supplement with other municipal solid wastes to
recovery of energy from the incineration of waste is the accepted practice, aluminum foil
becomes a useful source of heat energy. Under the furnace conditions of an incineration
plant, foil releases its latent energy by combining with oxygen to release heat. Although
Sachet Disposal 9
aluminum foil is a tiny proportion of the total waste stream, it is nonetheless a positive fuel
substitute, helping to reduce the amount of fossil fuel needed to sustain the incineration
process. During oxidation, aluminum gives off no polluting or green house gas and the
resulting residue represents the return of the metal to aluminum oxide, an inert compound
similar to that from which the metal was originally extracted. In less pure forms, aluminum
oxide occurs in most soils, and disposal of this residue is therefore totally safe. (2002)
incineration. Aluminum does not burn during incineration but its surface oxidizes partly into
its oxide Al2O3, releasing a quantity of energy, 31.6 MJ/kg, equivalent to that resulting from
the combustion of plastic, paper and even oil. The outer alumina layer offers a major
advantage as it prevents the aluminum substrate from further oxidation. This property is
highly valued and widely used in some industrial processes, especially for the controlled
voluntary deep oxidation (anodization) applied to aluminum extrusions for windows and
doors. Due to this surface treatment, these building products are well protected against
weather influences and do not need any additional maintenance for a considerable period
ingots can be reused in its powdered form. This ingots undergo pounding by a stamp mill,
which produces flakes, and are further powdered through a ball mill. The aluminum oxide
powder can be used as an adsorbent, desiccating agent, catalyst, and in the manufacture
of dental cements and refractories. Aluminum oxide powder is used in the coating of
titanium oxide, a compound that is used as a pigment for paints and plastic papers. It helps
in preventing catalytic reactions between these products and the atmosphere. Aluminum
Sachet Disposal 10
oxide is also used in the making of fillers used in the welding industry. (National Center for
Plastics Inc.). However, the incinerator used must be capable of scrubbing out acidic
combustion products.
Philippines. Section 20 of Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999, states
wastes, which process emits poisonous and toxic fumes, is hereby prohibited. The
provision states further, with due concern on the effects of climate change, the
and hazardous wastes. This prohibits the use of incineration in the Philippines,
given that they emit poisonous and toxic fumes, and thus, if incineration does not
Management Act of 2000 states The Department (of Environment and Natural
cooperate with and render financial and other assistance to appropriate government
agencies and private agencies, institutions and individuals in the conduct and
new and improved methods of collecting and disposing of solid waste and processing
its very low biodegradability; presence in large quantities, like disposal in a landfill
promotes a great harmful effect to the environment. Therefore, finding alternative methods
of disposing waste by using an eco-friendly methods are becoming a major research issue.
In order to make an effective disposal method, we need to identify first the different
components of Unilevers plastic sachets and their proper disposal methods. Existing
options for its disposal are recycling, incineration with energy recovery, and landfill. The
high value of this product makes incineration with energy recovery very desirable for
material that cannot be recycled, but incineration must be capable of scrubbing out acidic
combustion products that affects the environment, so producing methods that could help
without separating materials causes harm to environment. This un-separated waste was
not free from bulky and recyclable materials, even. This resulted in risk for plant workers
health and environment, thus violating laws regarding the proper solid waste disposal and
clean air act. In order to reduce the harmful effects of incineration, we need first to
separate the plastics into its components first then subjecting each component to disposal
without violating provisions of laws regarding the protection of environment from pollution
Sachet Disposal 12
such as Republic Act. No 9003, Republic Act. No. 3931, Republic Act. No 8749, and
Input Process
For better understanding of the study and to help the readers understand it, the
Aluminum Foil. In this study, it is the innermost layer or component of the plastic sachet.
Plastic Sachet. It refers to the packaging material with components made up of multi-
layered films.
Polyethylene Terephthalate. It refers to the next layer of sachet covering aluminum foil.
Ambient Temperature. In this study, it the air temperature of the environment where the
equipment is placed.
Shearing Forces. It occurs when two parallel forces act out of alignment with each other.
Friction. It is a force resisting the movement of solid surfaces, fluid, and material elements
Potential Difference. It is the difference of the electrical potential between two points.
Ingots. It is a piece of metal that is cast into shape for storage and transportation.
Fluidized Bed. It is a type of reactor that can be used to carry out variety of multiphase
reactions.
Food grade. An adjective that means the material or product at hand is either fit for human
or animal consumption, or, more commonly, is at least permitted to come into contact with
food.
Non-food grade. The substance has not been tested for this purpose or that there is some
reason to believe that there could be contaminants that are harmful to humans.
RA No. 8749. An act providing for a comprehensive air pollution control policy and for
other purposes.
Sachet Disposal 16
RA No. 3931. An act creating the national water and air pollution control commission.
RA # 6969. An act to control toxic substances and hazardous and nuclear wastes,
RA # 9003. Providing for an ecological solid waste management program, creating the
necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and
Soot. A mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of
hydrocarbons.
Sachet Disposal 17
CHAPTER 3
The initiation step of this research study is the collection of Unilevers used plastic
sachets, that also includes the segregation of food-grade and non-food-grade plastic
sachets, then it will undergo cleaning process to remove the remaining contents.
Subsequently, these sachets will be dried and then will be subjected to a process for
Cleaning/
Collection Separation Disposal
F Drying
X. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
The process develops into several steps for the disposal of plastic sachets. The
first step in this project relates to the separation of a multilayer material based on plastic
to the separation of constituents of the multilayer material including a base plastic and a
In the case of these multilayer materials, the presence of several different plastics
sometimes presents problems: if it is deemed sufficient to grind the multilayer material into
Sachet Disposal 18
particles and to reemploy them in the manufacture of a new product, the latter runs the risk
thus recycled must be greatly restricted. It is therefore desirable to have available a simple
and effective method enabling the constituents of multilayer materials to be separated with
a view to being able to reemploy them in a manner which is comparable with virgin
constituents, without affecting the performance of the new product manufactured from
1. COLLECTION
The initiation step for this research study is the collection of used Unilevers plastic
sachets within a barangay. It also includes the segregation of food grade and non-food
2. CLEANING
After the collection of sachets from the sources, it will undergo cleaning where the
The process in which we will be separating the multilayer material into two
components including a layer of base plastic (A) and a layer of plastic (B) separated by a
layer of adhesive plastic (C) was patented by Vandenhende and Yernaux of Belgium
(1999). Plastic is intended to denote any polymer or polymer mixtures. Evidently, the
variable of this research which is the sachet produced by the Unilever contains a layer of
Sachet Disposal 19
Polyethylene, Aluminum, and Polyethylene terephthalate which are also thermoplastic and
thus making it suitable for the process. However, each of the plastics (A, B, C) may in
lubricants, antioxidants, pigments, flame retardants, fillers or reinforcing fillers, and the like.
According to the tests ran by Vandenhende and Yernaux, there are characteristics
of each layer must have for the separation to obtain a good result.
Table 1.
Layer Description
Base plastic (A) - represents more than 80% of the total weight of the
polyethylene (HDPE).
based fuels
compatibilized polyethylene
With the knowledge of how compatible our variables are with the required or
suggested characteristics of each layer, the multilayer plastic is now subjected to the
following process:
4. HEATING
Before the heating begins, it may optionally include washing or else chopping at
an ambient temperature, intended to reduce the materials into medium dimension. The
second plastic (B), which is within 67 80 C, and TC 20 C. This can be carried out by
Sachet Disposal 21
any known means such as lamps or resistances emitting infrared radiation. The purpose of
heating is to bring the material to a temperature suited for the next stage.
5. SHREDDING
temperature as the first stage. Surprisingly, it has been found that the fact of subjecting the
multilayer material to shearing forces at a temperature slightly lower than the crystallization
temperature of the plastic B makes it possible to effect the separation of, on the one hand,
A and, on the other hand B+C. This justifies the main goal of the process- to separate the
well known as such; it generally consists of a rotary drum provided with blades at its
periphery, rotating in a vessel to which blades are also secured. A model capable of
specific dimensions making it possible to perform the separation with a high efficiency.
This starts the delamination and converts the materials into particles of small dimensions
of two types: one is mostly the base plastic, which in this case is the Polyethylene, and the
6. ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION
example, by corona discharge or by subjecting them to friction which may involve mutual
friction, for example in a fluidized bed, or else friction of the particles on a moving member
(drum, belt or the like) of an appropriate nature (glass, plastic, or the like). In this process,
Sachet Disposal 22
fluidized bed is employed. They can now then be separated by letting them pass through
two deflecting electrodes with continuous and high potential difference. The polyethylene is
7. HYDROTHERMAL PROCESS
To separate the aluminum and the polyethylene terephthalate, they are subjected
min. Subsequent liquid-solid product separation was conducted, and the solid product was
part.
8. INCINERATION
undergo incineration process with energy recovery and a scrubber where acidic
substances are absorbed in order to minimize its contribution to the degradation of our
environment.
Combustion in a furnace, producing hot gases and a bottom ash residue for
disposal.
generation.
Treatment of the cooled gas to remove air pollutants, and disposal of residuals
Dispersion of the treated gas to the atmosphere through an induced-draft fan and
stack.
9. PULVERIZATION
The aluminum, after incineration, will produce aluminum oxide in the form of
ingots. These ingots undergo pounding by a stamp mill, which produces flakes, and are
further powdered through a ball mill. Aluminum oxide in its powdered form can be used as
START
COLLECTION
CLEANING
SEPARATION
OF EACH
COMPONENT
INCINERATION
YES
Is it
PULVERIZATION
Al?
NO
END
Sachet Disposal 24
The efficiency of this project can be justified if it is observed to comply with the
environmental policies enforced by the Philippine government- serving its purpose to utilize
treatment (to selectably dissolve multilayer polymer constituents), incineration, and energy
recovery which are related to the Republic Act (RA) No. 8749: Clean Air Act of 1999 and
the Republic Act (RA) No. 3931: An Act Creating the National Water and Air Pollution
Control Commission where these policies maintain the standards of purity for the water
and air of this country. However, this project was designed and engineered to ensure the
gases and other fume produced during the process will not cause significant negative
thorough planning and research to evade the protocols of Republic Act (RA) No. 6969:
Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Act which regulates and restricts,
use and disposal of chemical substances and mixtures. Ultimately, this process of disposal
country that is consequently in line with the Republic Act (RA) No. 9003: Ecological Solid
The formed gases upon incineration must also comply with the regulations of
Chapter 2: Article 1, Section 12 of the RA No. 8749, which states the guideline values and
Sachet Disposal 25
standard of ambient air quality. The DENR, in coordination with concerned agencies, shall
review the values and standard necessary to protect the public health and safety, and
general welfare.
The following are the initial list and values of the hazardous pollutants which are based on
the World Health Organizations (WHO) standards, but shall not be limited to nor be less
Table 2.
Table 3.
For National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Source Specific Air Pollutants from
Industrial Sources/Operations
s
Sachet Disposal 27
pect to any trade, industry, process and fuel-burning equipment or industrial plant emitting
air pollutants, the concentration at the point of emission shall not exceed the following
limits:
XII. EVALUATION
presented, which is incineration with energy recovery, an evaluation sheet shall be filled
out by the inspecting officer. It can be evaluated by the National Solid Waste Management
Commission (NSWMC), which represents the NGOs and the Department of Energy and
Natural Resources (DENR) and any possible concern persons. The evaluator shall score
the different parameters as 5 being Excellent, 4 being Good, 3 being Satisfactory, 2 being
Table 5.
Evaluation Form
Environmental Parameters 5 4 3 2 1
room.
of smoke.
Sachet Disposal 28
the RA 8749.
matter.
chemical mists.
Energy Parameters 5 4 3 2 1
efficient.
Safety Parameters 5 4 3 2 1
irritation.
the eyes.
XIII. Bibliography
Aluminium Foil - Recycling, Source Reduction and Energy Recovery. (2002). Retrieved from AZO
Materials: https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1586
Dinglasan, M. (2015). Unilever's sachet recovery program continues its mission to provide a
sustainable environment for Filipinos. Entrepreneur Philippines.
Garthe, J. K. (2017, August 8). Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved from PennState
Extension: https://extension.psu.edu/resource-recovery-turning-waste-into-energy
Hoornweg, D. P. (2012). What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Northwest:
World Bank.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). PubChem Compound Database. Retrieved
from PubChem Open Chemistry Database:
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/9989226
Prawisudha, P., Mu'min, G. F., Yoshikawa, K., & Pasek, A. D. (2014). Experimental Study on
Separation of Metal Layer in Aluminum-plastic Packaging by Employing Hydrothermal
Process.
Pruvost, F. (2013, June). Aluminium packaging finds its way through incineration Metal transfer
ratios higher than expected . Every Can Counts, pp. 81-83.
Republic Act No. 8749. (n.d.). Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999. Retrieved from
http://emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RA-8749.pdf
Republic Act No. 9003. (n.d.). Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Retrieved from
http://emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RA-9003.pdf
Vandenhende, B., & Yernaux, J.-M. (1997). Belgium Patent No. US5934577.
Yue, Q. F., Xiao, L. F., Zhang, M. L., & Bai, X. F. (2013). The Glycolysis of Poly(ethylene
terephthalate) Waste: Lewis Acidic Ionic Liquids as High Efficient Catalysts. MDPI
Polymers, 1258-1271.
Sachet Disposal 31