Improving the River Nile Sustainability through Recycling Retrieved Plastic Waste

Abstract

This work represents collaboration between the research team and the VeryNile organization aiming to improve the sustainability of the Nile River by cleaning the Nile from plastic waste recycling this waste into a value-added product. VeryNile was launched in 2020 to empower the local fishermen to clean the Nile daily. Every day, this green army removes an average of 100kg of plastic waste from the Nile, which is almost 40 tons per year. Mixed with about 60 tons of agricultural waste, we could produce 100 tons of wood plastic composite (WPC) every year. In this research, wood plastic composite was produced from recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and different types of agriculture wastes. Agriculture wastes were dried in the sun for about one month. Then wood powder was produced from these wastes using three steps: cutting, crushing, and grinding. HDPE waste was cut using plastic crushing machine to produce plastic flakes. Then, plastic pellets were produced from these flakes using plastic pelletizer machine. Finally, wood flour and plastic pellets were mixed, compounded and formed into the final shape using conical double screw extruder. Tensile test, bending test, and water absorption test were done on the produced samples. results show that the mechanical and physical properties of the produced WPC are suitable for many applications: decking, fencing, seat, garden toys, and kitchen cabinet. WPC produced from cotton stem was found to have maximum tensile strength while WPC produced from chili peppers stems wood` was found to have maximum bending strength. WPC produced from orange tree wood gave minimum water absorption. So, it’s the most suitable type for outdoor applications.