title: Establishing an integrated databank for plastic manufacturers and converters in Kuwait.
abstract: During the past decade, plastic solid waste (PSW) has increased drastically in the state of Kuwait, amounting to 13% of the waste load. Most ends up in landfills with only a minor percentage being recycled. In this study, a databank was established to include plastic manufacturers and converters in Kuwait. The aim was to assess the amount of plastic waste being generated from a number of sources. Types, quantities, and recycling information were gathered and fed into the databank. Kuwait was divided into five sectors to ease data gathering. A total of 37 companies and agencies related to plastic were integrated into the work, as well as information from a previously established databank for plastic waste bags. It was noted that most converters of plastic use in-house recycling schemes. Grades of polyethylene and polypropylene, as well as aliginic acid, polyacetals, and poly-styrene, are all considered major imports in the Arabian Gulf market, and especially in Kuwait. These grades possess an import value in excess of 20 million US dollars per year. The conclusions from this study could be used in neighboring countries in order to reduce PSW generated from the region.
authors.affiliation: Petrochemical Processes Program Element, Petroleum Research and Studies Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait. ssalem@ns1.prsc.kisr.edu.tw
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Al-Salem
mesh_terms: D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D007730:Kuwait; D010969:Plastics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics