Name: Galo James Patrick S.

Section: BSEE 4A

Review of Related Literature

General Waste management

Waste management has been one of the biggest operations in the world.
According to (Bezama & Agamuthu, 2019) waste management and research has
shifted due to world transition in the past. Editorials and studies are published
related to the topic of waste management. Because of this, the communities find
different ways not only for recycling but also to decrease the production of waste
worldwide, resulting in the development of circular economy and bioeconomy. The
scope of waste management then evolved as editorials also shown that marine litter
microplastic pollution is the concern of this management and research. Stated also
on these different studies that developing countries also addresses waste
management, as well as design of sustainability and its impact in the circular
economy. With many years of development, there’s still no broad applicable answer
to this subject. However, many studies found evidence that still give impact and
progress to further develop the concept of waste management, having different
approaches to efficiently achieve the goal of waste management.
Another to study, (Kumar, 2025) that waste management is crucial to the
society. Because of urbanization, population growth, and industrialization, waste
continue to increase on volume. Therefore, efficient and environmentally
responsible solution is required. Coordinated system is essential when handling
waste since it have different classification. Additionally, 5r’ s (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, Recover and Residual management) is the primary system of waste
management, aiming to minimize the waste environmental impacts. The system;
reduce by minimize the waste at the source, reuse by extent product life, recycle by
convert waste into resource, recover by extracting energy or material, then have
safe final disposal if we have proper residual management. Waste management
process can be integrated by combining recycling, composting, incineration, and
sanitary landfills. Technological advancement sees the conversion of waste to
energy possible. Aside from disposal, sustainable and systematic approaches are
also what waste management requires. Relying on landfills or dumping, proved to
be unsustainable, therefore, integrated and circular strategies are essential for
better waste management. To achieve such goals, different aspects of life is needed
such as education.
When talking about education, it necessary to further increase the knowledge
of students in waste management. According to (Molina & Catan, 2021) , students do
not possess the knowledge of the legal aspect of waste management. Despite
demonstrating good practical knowledge and exercises, the student did the comply
in the requirements of the research-made questionnaire, showing that the legal
aspects of waste management are unfamiliar to them. The study then found out
that hands on approaches are least effective caused by their limited availability
compare to the influenced done by social media and parents. The study concluded
that students are already aware of the practices in proper waste management,
although they are unconscious of the legal aspects of it. The author also suggests
that educational or governmental establishments should also invest in the learning
of legal frameworks of the waste management and implementing laws about it to
make people aware of the risk of waste increase through utilization of media and
educational programs.
Another Philippine based study (Rafael et al., 2023) stated that solid waste
management is based on solid waste management act of 2000 (RA 9003) that
implement rules related to waste management. Nevertheless, with many factors
such as weak implementation, the country suffered different challenges. By 2020,
21.4 million tons of waste are generated with the country as the main source and
predicted to climb to 23.6 million tons by 2025. Although 28% of the waste are
recyclable, only 9% of plastics are being recycled, then 35% leaks in the
environment. This resulted in making the Philippines the third-largest contributor of
mismanaged plastic waste entering the oceans, which further worsened the
challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, as open dumpsites
triggered various calamities that harmed marine life. Circular economy is then
introduced, which emphasizes reuse, repair, recycling, and recovery to keep
material circulate and prevent waste generation. While there is no direct legal act
that involves Circular Economy, many acts and regulations already present the
foundation of this transition. To sum up, this study wants people to understand that
even though Circular economy might not be a quick solution, but it provides
strategic framework that could unify sectors of the country to deal with waste
management and if implemented properly, the country could transition toward a
circular economy that benefits environment and human life.

Impact of Bottle Waste in Growing Pollution

Bottle waste is one of the wastes that had been spreading in the world, but
mainly spreading in the Philippines. According to (Worl Bank Group, 2021) the
Philippines have been considered as one of the largest contributors of waste having
0.75 million tons per year, creating great losses since 80-120 billion USD are used in
packaging value is loss each year due to inefficient recycling and disposal
processes. Asia contributed 80% in the plastic leakage with Philippines as a hotspot.
The government then introduced 3R’s; Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) targets the increasing waste, with the
collaboration of different branches of the government. However, challenges still
occur that hold back of the achievement of the waste management goals. To
overcome such obstacle, the study proposed that government to act with unity,
participation of private sectors, and greater investment in recycling and circular
economy.
There are a lot of risks that come up with the growth of bottle waste. The
study of (Pandey, 2023) stated that production of bottles relies on petroleum-based
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), consuming natural resources and energy with the
result of greenhouse gas emission. Improper disposal of this waste, could result into
different casualties. This endangered not only human life but also variety of wildlife
caused by chemicals leaching of substances and ingestion of microplastics through
bottled water. High cost of waste management, limited access to clean water, and
added pressure to waste system has been one of many social and economic
consequences. With these in mind, the study had suggested some alternatives such
as; tap water, reusable bottles, biodegradable packaging, and innovation like edible
containers and refill stations. Additionally, there is a need for strong government
regulation, corporate responsibility, public awareness campaigns, and research into
sustainable technologies. Ultimately, reducing the reliance for single-use bottle and
promoting circular economy solutions is crucial for achieving true waste
management.
Although bottle waste proved to be one of the largest growing wastes, is also
have different classification. That is the purpose of the study by
(Becerril-Arreola & Bucklin, 2021)
with the focus on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common
material for non-alcoholic drinks. Results shows that 80% of bottle weight variation
is explained by capacity, 16% by product type, and 1% by brand. The smallest
bottles show the least efficiency, while having the medium sized bottles the most
efficiency and the large sized slightly better efficiency than the smallest bottle. This
means that the efficiency can be believed to follow a concave pattern. Based on U.S
sales and waste data, the study estimates that 20% shift from small to medium
bottles could reduce PET waste by nearly 10000 tons annually. Since this amount of
waste is at risk of doubling within two decades, such efficiency improvements
present a practical way to lessen environmental impact.

Possible Ways to Lessen the Amount of Bottle Waste

 In order to deal with the management of waste, it is needed to understand its
background first. That is why according to (Allison et al., 2022) human behaviour
influences plastic waste and evaluates interventions to reduce it. To do this, the
authors examine 60 studies with different approaches, strategies, and framework on
plastic behaviours and interventions. Most of these studies focused on general
public, shopping contexts, and recycling actions. People’s actions with plastic
management are driven by mainly; capability, opportunity, and motivation. The
strategies; persuasion, enablement, and environmental worked best in changing the
people’s behaviours with communication and marketing, environmental and social
planning, and service provision as the actions most effective in implementing
policies. Interventions focused on physical opportunity and reflective motivation
proved effective, while those focused on psychological capability showed limited or
even negative effects.
To have better efficiency on recycling, reducing waste, and supporting circular
economy, the study by (Picuno et al., 2025) have proposed the potential of Deposit
Refund System where consumer pays small deposit refunded upon returning
bottles. The countries like Germany and Norway achieved return rates of 95%.
Despite the DRS incentivizes consumer participation, create jobs, and could support
vulnerable groups, it requires many things to function properly. Overall, this study
stated that the DRS is a insightful and effective project for waste management if it
is operated, maintained, and implemented properly.
To further manage the growth of single-used bottles, alternatives have been
introduced. The study by (Sandin, 2020) then compared single-used bottles with
different variety of alternatives. This finds that although PET bottles have low
climate impacts, it contributes heavily to littering and resource use. The other
alternatives also present different trade-offs, such as cartons, which perform well in
certain contexts but rely on caps and barrier layers. The report highlights that
outcome depend on the factors like container size, production methods, and other
variables. To sum up, there is no single best solution, emphasizing the need for
policymakers to focus on strategies that promote reuse, recycling, and access to
safe water in order to achieve significant sustainability gains.

Bottle Waste Quality as 3D printer filament and Glass Bottles as Eco-Sand

Different approaches in recycling glass are introduced to help reduce the
spread of the said waste. One approach is what the study by (Tamanna et al., 2020)
did, where in they examined the usage of Recycled Glass Sand (RGS) as an
alternative to natural river sand in concrete. Conducted in Australia, the study
tested the different replacement levels with the aim to have 32 MPa being
motivated coming from the environmental impacts of excessive sand extraction.
The result based in the fresh and hardened concrete while also including the
durability. With equal treatment, the concrete achieved the expected strength,
having the 20% RGS with the highest strength which is 7% greater than control
concrete. In terms of durability, the 40% RGS performed best, it also reduced
expansion from alkali-silica reaction due to pozzolanic effects of fine glass particles.
Hence, RGS could replace natural sand up to 60% without affecting strength and
durability, still, it needs improvements in terms of workability. Aside from lessening
the dependance on natural sand, the RGS also diverts large amount of waste glass
landfills that became support to sustainable construction practice and mitigating
environmental damage.
Aside from glass bottles, plastic bottle waste also needs recycling since it also
keeps on increasing. That is why the study by (Nikam et al., 2024) addressed this by
using machines with controlled extrusion process of processing PET strips. Finite
Element Analysis (FEA) in solid works then compared the product with the market
bought filament (PLA), concluding that the PET is comparable in the different
aspects of the PLA, hence stating that PET is indeed feasible alternatives for PLA.
Despite having more tensile strength, PET is cost effective, light, and beneficial in
the environment as it comes from plastic waste lowering its emission. The study
also sums up that the process is optimized, having 10 mm strips at 235 ºC yielded
more consistent filament while also contributing to circular economy and reducing
environmental impact.
These two studies are major helps since the growth of waste is becoming a
major issue especially plastic. According to (Singh & Walker, 2024) , the increase of
these wastes is becoming a threat to both human life and environment, while
recycling systems are rendered ineffective to lessen the impact. Over 400 million
tons of plastics are produced each year, yet only 9% is recycled, with most effort
focused on thermoplastics while thermosets are often neglected. Advancing
recycling technologies is crucial to close this gap. Promoting recyclable designs,
safer chemical use, and strong economic measure can boost plastic markets and
reduce waste leakage. Likewise, global agreements are vital in reducing pollution
and making recycling more effective.

Efficiency of recycling plastic bottles and glass

Recycling have been vital to conserve resources. However, according to
(John, 2024) the effectiveness of recycling varies depending on the materials. With
its diversity, contamination, while having only 10% recycling rate, plastics are the
most problematic particularly when unrecycled plastics are turned into lower-quality
products instead of reusing. Other materials also have better recycling success,
though flaws are still presents. All in all, all materials have their own merit while
also having some downside. Various solutions technological advancement, product
design are helpful for reducing the contamination and other factor from limiting
different recycling approaches.
Following the prior thoughts, plastic play a crucial role in the daily life with
the convenience and sanitation benefits. However, this study of (Jung et al., 2023)
explained that low recycling rates have resulted plastic turning into waste ending up
on landfills or ocean worsening the pollution. It is also important to enhance the
recycling and upcycling despite the technical challenges. Therefore, the research
focused their attention to polymer innovation, improving its efficiency. Moreover,
developing advanced upcycling methods is essential to convert discarded plastics
into higher-value materials. Such approaches offer promising solutions to reduce
plastic waste while promoting environmental sustainability.
When it comes to waste management a common material always come to
mind. According to (Zhou et al., 2023) , Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a
common material used in packaging and is considered valuable for recycling.
However, in China, most of it ends up being turned into fibers instead of reused for
bottles. The deposit-refund system (DRS) has been shown to be an effective way to
support bottle-to-bottle recycling. In the study, five different recycling setups were
compared, including the current informal system, an improved sorting system, and
a DRS-based approach. Result showed that DRS could cut greenhouse gas
emissions by about 0.538 kg of CO₂ for every kilogram of PET bottles and reduce
overall environmental impact as well. Overall, DRS recycling – especially reusing
bottles for new bottles – offers strong potential for lowering pollution and harmful
emissions.

Conclusione

The reviewed literatures emphasizes that waste management continues to be

a global concern, particularly plastic bottles and glass waste, threatening the
environment and human health. Although systems like 5R’s, circular economy, and
deposit-refund programs provide effective frameworks, challenges remain like poor
enforcement. Studies also highlight innovative approaches – such as converting PET
bottles into 3D printer filament or glass into eco – sand – that support sustainability
and reduce landfill dependance. Overall, the findings agree that there is no single
best solution; rather, waste management requires a combination of strong policies,
 education, technological innovation, and community participation to effectively
minimize waste and promote environmental resilience.

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