Kang, D., Manirathinam, T., Geetha, S., Narayanamoorthy, S., Ferrara, M., & Ahmadian, A. (2023). An advanced stratified decision-making strategy to explore viable plastic waste-to-energy method: A step towards sustainable dumped wastes management. Applied Soft Computing, 143, 110452.

Plastic waste disposal and its impact on the environment have been longstanding concerns, posing threats to ecosystems, human health, and wildlife.

A recent research study, titled "An Advanced Stratified Decision-Making Strategy to Explore Viable Plastic Waste-to-Energy Method," co-authored by Ali Ahmadian from Near East University, delves into an integrated approach for managing dumped plastic waste. The study emphasizes the detrimental effects of waste dumping, including soil contamination and groundwater pollution through leaching. However, it introduces a promising solution by harnessing dumped plastic waste as a significant source of energy, contributing to the circular economy and mitigating post-recycling pollution.

The research focuses on selecting the most appropriate waste-to-energy (WtE) technology to address dumped waste concerns effectively. By adopting a stratified fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach, the study accounts for uncertainties and imprecisions in decision-making processes. It enhances the intuitionistic analytical hierarchical process with a stratified targeting concept, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of WtE techniques based on multi-level criteria importance.

In an empirical investigation, the study found that plasma technology emerged as a feasible solution, meeting stratification requirements and effectively managing landfills by energy recovery. This technology's potential to address dumped plastic waste issues aligns with SDGs, notably contributing to sustainable production, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving waste management practices.

Furthermore, the research's comparative analysis, sensitivity evaluation, and Spearman's rank correlation validate the proposed methodology's efficacy in handling ecological challenges. By integrating innovative decision-making strategies with sustainable waste management practices, this study presents a new dimension in addressing environmental concerns related to dumped plastic waste.

For further details, access the original paper from the publisher's link:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568494623004702?via%3Dihub