Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 3 (1): 10-22

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Universidad Autónoma de Baja California ISSN 2594-1925

Volumen 6 (4): e313. Octubre-Diciembre. https://doi.org/10.37636/recit.v6n4e313.

1 ISSN: 2594-1925

Case study

Study of waste generation polystyrene based in Misantla, Veracruz from the

circular economy

Estudio de generación de residuos de poliestireno basado en Misantla, Veracruz desde la

economía circular

Romeo García Cruz , David Reyes González , Yodaira Borroto Pentón , Neira Sánchez Zárate , Yensy Fernández

Pentón , Cleotilde Anahí Álvarez Contreras

Tecnológico Nacional de México / Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Misantla, Km. 1.8 Carretera a Loma del Cojolite C.P. 93850

Misantla, Veracruz, México.

Corresponding author: David Reyes González, Tecnológico Nacional de México / Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Misantla, Km. 1.8 Carretera a Loma del Cojolite

C.P. 93850 Misantla, Veracruz, México. E-mail: dreyesg@itsm.edu.mx. ORCID: 0000-0001-6400-5984.

Enviado: 16 de Agosto del 2023 Aceptado: 30 de Octubre del 2023 Publicado: 8 de Noviembre 2023

Abstract. - Recently, the excessive generation of plastic waste and its inadequate management have represented a problem worldwide.

Petrochemical plastics, which account for 80% of the world's total plastic use, are the main pollutants. With the growth of the population and

its needs, the generation of polystyrene waste increases considerably. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has a very low recycling rate; it is estimated

that, of 125 thousand tons generated annually in Mexico, only 0.1% is recycled. The objective of this project is to obtain a preliminary diagnosis

on the generation of EPS waste in the city of Misantla, Ver., which allows its post-consumer use as recycled raw material, under a circular

economy approach. The methodological proposal for the development of this research was defined in the following steps: (1) characterization

of the participating actors, from the Circular Economy approach; (2) identification of businesses that generate polystyrene as waste; (3)

determination of the type of polystyrene generated; (4) estimation of the quantities of waste generated; (5) analysis in comparison with the

generation of other types of waste; (6) generation of post-consumer use strategies. According to the 2019 Economic Census, in Misantla the

economic sector with the largest number of economic units in the municipality is retail, where it is located, the sale of food in small establishments

or street stores, these agents being identified as the main generators of polystyrene waste. A survey was applied to 96 companies, mainly in the

food sector. The results of these surveys show that these establishments mainly use disposable products made of expanded polystyrene such as

plates and cups, and that, in some cases, the use of disposable polystyrene products such as containers and spoons was identified. With the

information collected, it is concluded that the use of disposable products generates approximately 765 kilograms of EPS waste. Unlike plastic

waste, misinformation about the recycling of EPS, the lack of strategies for its collection and post-consumer use, as well as the lack of awareness

for its recycling, give way to it ending up in final disposal sites, continuing with the trend framed in different investigations that maintain that

its final destination is incineration. After the diagnosis, there is a concrete vision of the generation of polystyrene waste and future work is given

in the generation and implementation of strategies that allow the use of post-consumer unicel for its return to the value chain.

Keywords: Polystyrene waste; Circular economy; Post-consumer unicel; Plastic waste; Recycling.

Resumen. - Recientemente, la generación excesiva de residuos plásticos y su inadecuada gestión han representado un problema a nivel mundial.

Los plásticos petroquímicos, que representan el 80% del uso total de plástico en el mundo, son los principales contaminantes. Con el crecimiento

de la población y de sus necesidades, la generación de residuos de poliestireno aumenta considerablemente. El poliestireno expandido (EPS),

tiene una tasa de reciclaje muy baja; se estima que, de 125 mil toneladas generadas anualmente en México, sólo se recicla el 0.1%. El objetivo

de este proyecto es obtener un diagnóstico preliminar sobre la generación de residuos de EPS en la ciudad de Misantla, Ver., que permita su

uso posconsumo como materia prima reciclada, bajo un enfoque de economía circular. La propuesta metodológica para el desarrollo de esta

investigación se definió en los siguientes pasos: (1) caracterización de los actores participantes, desde el enfoque de la Economía Circular; (2)

identificación de comercios que generan poliestireno como residuo; (3) determinación del tipo de poliestireno generado; (4) estimación de las

cantidades de residuos generados; (5) análisis en comparación con la generación de otros tipos de residuos; (6) generación de estrategias de

uso posconsumo. De acuerdo con el Censo Económico 2019, en Misantla el sector económico con mayor número de unidades económicas del

municipio es el comercio minorista, donde se ubica, la venta de alimentos en pequeños establecimientos o tiendas callejeras, siendo estos agentes

identificados como los principales generadores de residuos de poliestireno. Se aplicó una encuesta a 96 empresas, principalmente del sector

alimentario. Los resultados de dichas encuestas demuestran que, estos establecimientos utilizan principalmente productos desechables hechos

de poliestireno expandido como platos y vasos, además de que, en algunos casos, se identificó el uso de productos desechables de poliestireno

como recipientes y cucharas. Con la información recopilada, se concluye que el uso de productos desechables genera aproximadamente 765

kilogramos de residuos de EPS. A diferencia de los residuos plásticos, la desinformación sobre el reciclaje del EPS, la falta de estrategias para

su recolección y uso posconsumo, así como la falta de conciencia para su reciclaje, dan paso a que este termine en sitios de disposición final,

continuando con la tendencia enmarcada en diferentes investigaciones que sostienen que, su destino final es la incineración. Tras el diagnóstico,

se tiene una visión concreta de la generación de residuos de poliestireno y se da trabajo futuro en la generación e implementación de estrategias

que permitan el uso de unicel posconsumo para su retorno a la cadena de valor.

Palabras clave: Residuos de poliestireno; Economía circular; Unicel posconsumo; Residuos plásticos; Reciclaje.

2 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

1. Introduction

Exponential population growth brings with it an

increase in consumption needs around the world.

This increase in the needs of society leads to an

imminent and high generation of municipal solid

waste. Particularly in developing countries, this

generation represents a latent problem in terms of

waste management. Plastic waste, internationally

recognized as a problem [1] and considered in

recent years as a high-impact pollutant, they

represent 3.4% of global greenhouse gas

emissions and their consumption totaled 355

million tons from 2000-2019 [2]. This negative

impact is mostly generated by single-use plastics,

usually disposable products that are often made

from polystyrene (PS) [3].

In its expanded form it is thermoplastic obtained

from the styrene monomer polymerized with

water and an expanding agent and is composed

of 98% air with 2% solid matter [4]. Because it

has good impact resistance, good insulation

properties, as well as being light [5], polystyrene

has multiple applications both in the construction

sector and in the production of packaging for

food and household appliances [6]. Despite being

100% recyclable, the low density of polystyrene

hinders and raises transportation costs for

recycling [7].

In addition to this, polystyrene waste is generally

poorly disposed of and is not used after

consumption due to the lack of information on its

recycling [8], which consequently keeps it as one

of the plastic wastes with recycling rates below

1% in Mexico. An even greater problem is the

final destination of this waste that, according to

the trend reported in different studies, when it

reaches the open dumps it is incinerated to reduce

the volume it covers, putting public health at risk

because its main component, the styrene

monomer is classified as a possible human

carcinogen [9]; or on the contrary it remains in

the ecosystem and when exposed to sunlight, rain

or salt water can decompose and become a

polluting agent of the so-called microplastics

[10]. In the national context, different laws

establish that each state and municipality must be

responsible for the waste it generates [11],

however, carrying out the correct disposal of

solid waste at the municipal level is a

complicated task given the deficiencies in terms

of infrastructure or scarce resources that most

municipalities in Mexico have [12].

In that sense, the reduction of plastic waste is a

need that requires high-impact contributions, so

a circular economy model based on the recycling

of such waste would be a viable alternative [13],

[14]. The adoption of circular economy strategies

for the environment and industries, as well as the

introduction of stricter government regulations is

a significant advantage for developing countries

[15] that seek to belong to the trend of

transformation from a traditional linear economy

to a circular economy [16].

To achieve this, information is necessary in a

multisectoral sense that together with significant

investment [17] enable the processing and reuse

of a wide range of plastics, including

polystyrene. Moving from a linear to a circular

economy in the production of single-use items by

reusing and recycling expanded polystyrene

products [18] it is the approach that guides the

objective of this study.

The objective of this work is to obtain a

preliminary study of: 1) the actors, as elements of

circular economy, and how they are contributing

or the leak of their participation, and 2) the

generation of polystyrene waste, at the city of

Misantla; given that specific information on the

generation of this waste, municipal regulatory

policies and quantification are currently

unknown, which represents an area of

opportunity for the development of research;

with the obtaining of the results it would be

possible to establish strategies based on the

circular economy for the use of post-consumer

polystyrene. Since this study adheres to a

descriptive research with a quantitative

approach, for its realization we proceeded to

obtain a significant sample of the population to

3 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

which surveys were applied to later analyze the

data obtained.

The following sections have been organized as

follows: the section 2 describes works related to

the area of study addressed by the work, this

section gives the context of the lack of

information on the generation of polystyrene

waste and addresses works that report the post-

consumption use of these wastes. Section 3

presents the methodological proposal for the

development of this study and describes the data

necessary to carry it out, such as the description

of participation of the actors associated with the

development of a model of circular economy, the

description of the study area, the collection of

preliminary information and the obtaining of the

population and statistical sample that were

occupied in the development. Section 4 below

presents the results obtained after applying the

surveys to the representative sample, as well as

estimates of the total waste of polystyrene and

other plastics generated per month in these

establishments. Finally, section 5 establishes the

conclusions and highlights the relationship of the

results obtained with the aspect of the circular

economy, considering this study a first step for

the generation of strategies for management and

post-consumer use of polystyrene waste.

2. Background

In recent years, the production of plastics in the

world was estimated at approximately 370

million tons [19], according to the United

Nations, Latin America generates 17 thousand

tons daily. Plastic waste represents a problem due

to its high consumption rates and its poor

disposal in landfills that lead to the

contamination of terrestrial and aquatic

ecosystems [20], as conventionally happens in

Mexico and at the municipal level, where most

polystyrene waste is disposed of seriously

affecting both human health and the environment

[21].

Worldwide there is an estimate and data on the

generation of polystyrene waste, however,

generally in developing countries and mainly in

municipalities, this type of waste is not

quantified, but is classified within plastic waste

[22]. By searching for information on works

similar to this research, it is possible to identify

that the information is scarce because it is not

called null. In Mexico, there are precedents on

studies of generation, recycling and final disposal

of municipal solid waste [23, 24], or studies on

waste generation and management under a

circular economy approach [25, 26] including

proposals for models to forecast waste generation

[27], however, none focus on polystyrene waste,

but are studies of residues in general. In the

international context, there are reported works on

studies of generation and quantification of waste

at the domestic level and in cities without a

specific quantification for polystyrene waste

[28– 31]. It is worth mentioning that the studies

on waste generation that had the most boom in

the last two years were those related to the

generation of hospital waste because of the

COVID -19 pandemic [32– 34]. The background

on works that, although they are not about studies

of polystyrene waste generation, but that do

address the use of such waste for different

applications under the circular economy

approach [35–40], they are the emphasis for

future work and represent the area of opportunity

for the development of this study, which seeks to

contribute to knowledge figures on the

generation of polystyrene waste and fill the gap

in the literature for this branch of study and

support the generation of strategies for post-

consumer use of polystyrene waste at municipal

scales.

The importance of the development of this study

lies mainly in the fact that a study of generation

and quantification of urban solid waste provides

tools for decision making in municipalities or

localities in Mexico [41].

4 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

3. Methodology

3.1 Description of the methodology

The methodological proposal for the

development of this research was defined by the

following steps: (1) characterization of the

participating actors, from the Circular Economy

approach, (2) identification of businesses that

generate polystyrene as waste; (3) determination

of the type of polystyrene generated; (4)

estimation of the quantities of waste generated;

(5) analysis in comparison with the generation of

other types of waste; (6) generation of post-

consumer use strategies. These steps are shown

below in Figure 1 represented in a flowchart.

3.2 Characterization of circular economy actors

Given the urgency to minimize plastic waste

pollution worldwide, the emergence of laws,

regulations, or policies to achieve this task is

currently a persistent global situation and Mexico

is no exception. In Mexico, the guidelines on

waste are contained within the General Law for

the Prevention and Integral Management of

Waste (LGPGIR), with a first edition in 2003,

this law aims to guarantee the right of every

person to an adequate environment and promote

sustainable development. through the prevention

of generation, recovery and comprehensive

management of waste. In relation to single-use

plastics, the LGPGIR was recently amended and

established a decree in article VII of the same,

which establishes the prohibition of Polystyrene

(PS) or Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), for the

production of single-use products, containers,

packaging and packaging for food, except for

medical or humanitarian purposes; It also

decreed that when this modification comes into

force, state governments should issue the

corresponding regulations, as well as update

local legislation on waste to comply with said

decree.

As a result of this, Veracruz promoted the

generation of regulations on single-use plastics,

being the first state in the Mexican Republic to

approve the prohibition of plastic bags and straws

in stores. However, within the update of their

regulations, polystyrene waste is not

contemplated, unlike other entities such as

Aguascalientes and Baja California Sur that do

include it within their guidelines.

Locally, in Misantla, Veracruz, there are no

records of businesses that generate polystyrene

waste, there is no record of how much of this

waste is generated in the municipality and there

are no strategies for its collection and use; This is

according to information obtained through

personal interviews with those in charge of the

area of Ecology and Environment, Public

Cleaning and Commerce.

In terms of social participation for the prevention

of pollution or poor disposal of plastic waste,

Figure 1. Steps of the methodological process

5 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

where polystyrene waste is regularly included.

The owners or managers of businesses that

generate polystyrene as waste do not implement

any action for the separation of these and are

unaware of the ability of polystyrene to be

recycled; So, they choose to carry out the final

disposal of their plastic waste in deposits to be

placed in the open dump of the municipality and

what is even more alarming, some people resort

to incinerating them to minimize the space that

this waste covers.

3.3 Description of the study area

The study area includes the town of Misantla,

belonging to the municipality of the same name

in Veracruz (Figure 2). This municipality is

located between parallels 19° 46' and 20° 09'

north latitude; meridians 96° 45' and 97° 00' W;

Altitude between 10 and 1,900 m. It has a total

area of 524.8 km2 [42]; data on the volume of

urban solid waste collected in the municipality of

Misantla are estimated at 14.6 thousand tons per

year [43].

3.4 Collection of prior information

To know the current status regarding the

information registered on the generation of

polystyrene waste in the municipal capital of

Misantla, documentary information obtained

from the municipal trade office and the direction

of Forestry Development, Ecology,

Environment, Science and Technology was

acquired (FFEMACYT acronyms in Spanish) of

the town hall. In the office of commerce, the

Figure 2. Geographical location of the Municipality of Misantla, Veracruz [42].

6 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

itinerant, that could use disposable polystyrene

products, was requested and in the direction of

FFEMACYT information was requested on the

records and classification of waste to know if the

amount of polystyrene waste generated in the

municipality is registered.

3.5 Data collection tools and techniques

According to the information reported in the

literature, the survey is the most used technique

for the collection of information in study with

quantitative and qualitative approach [44], this,

accompanied by a properly structured

questionnaire is the tool that was used in the

development of the research. The survey used

consists of 40 closed questions in which the main

objective is to know: the turn of the establishment

and accordingly, the type of disposable product

used or the amount of polystyrene waste it

generates.

3.6 Population and sample

To define the population, retail trade

establishments were considered, since according

to the 2019 Economic Census this sector was the

one that counted the largest number of economic

units in the municipality. Within this sector it is

very likely to find different applications of

polystyrene products, such as the use of

expanded polystyrene for packaging products

that the final consumer acquires for personal use,

in addition to the use of disposable products

made of polystyrene used for the sale of food

products, for the study educational

establishments were also considered since within

them food that is delivered in products are

distributed. disposable and finally the

establishments selling products that generate

polystyrene waste such as furniture stores or

commercial chains were contemplated.

In the database of the National Statistical

Directory of Economic Units (DENUE acronym

in Spanish) of the National Institute of Statistics

and Geography (INEGI), the following criteria

were established to define the population: the

Economic Activity (a) where the food and

beverage preparation establishments were

considered, the Size of the Establishment (b)

considering all sizes and the Geographical Area

below in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Criteria established for the identification of the population.

7 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

With these criteria it was possible to identify 233

economic units that meet the characteristics of

establishment that could generate polystyrene as

waste. This number of economic units is

considered as the total population utilized to

perform statistical analysis in this study. Next, in

figure 4, the defined geographical area of the

municipal seat and the establishments identified

by points are shown.

Figure 4. Geographical area of the municipal seat of Misantla and identification of the population.

The sample to which the surveys were applied

was determined by the probabilistic sampling

formula for finite populations and known number

[45], shown below in equation 1.

  󰇛󰇜

󰇡󰇛󰇜󰇢 (1)

For the development of the formula, the number

of previously identified population (Np = 233)

was considered, a degree of confidence of 80%

(Z = 1.28), an error of (0.05), at the end a sample

of 96 economic units was obtained to survey (N

= 96).

4. Results and discussions

Although at national level there are studies on the

quantification of waste and its classification; one

of the wastes for which there are few records is

polystyrene and these records are even scarcer at

the state or local level. With the personal

interviews carried out in the municipal offices of

Ecology and Environment, Public Cleaning and

Commerce of the city of Misantla, it is possible

to identify the lack of information on the

generation of plastic waste and the non-existent

8 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

participation of government actors in the proper

management of polystyrene waste.

According to information provided by the trade

office, in the municipal seat of Misantla there is

only a record of approximately 450

establishments in different sectors, without

classification by the line of business to which

they are dedicated, nor regulations that control

the generation of their waste. This register

includes food and retail establishments that are

identified as generators of polystyrene waste

according to the activities they carry out.

Currently in the municipality of Misantla by the

Office of Ecology and Environment there are no

regulations for single-use plastics, nor strategies

for the proper management of plastic waste; In

addition to the fact that the Municipal Public

Cleaning Department does not control the way in

which this waste is disposed of, which is only

dumped in the municipality's open-air landfill, in

addition to the above, there are no records of

quantification of its generation.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the owners

of establishments do not know a way to recycle

polystyrene waste, so there is no participation in

the recovery of plastic waste or proper disposal

of it. All the above generates an area of

opportunity for the approach of a circular

economy model that seeks to recover polystyrene

waste for post-consumer use.

To propose this model, we proceed to

characterize the polystyrene waste discarded

within the municipal seat of Misantla through a

generation study that takes as a representative

sample economic unit of the food service sector,

since they are identified as the main consumers

of disposable products.

With the documentary information obtained from

the trade office of the municipality of Misantla

shows a lack of follow-up in terms of the

economic units that are registered in the DENUE

database of the INEGI, given that the

establishments that are in the municipal register

are without classification by economic activity

and only the count of the establishments that are

registered with the same office is available. On

the other hand, it is important to mention that the

City Council by the direction of FFEMACYT

does not have a record of the amount of

polystyrene waste generated in the municipality,

since a classification of this waste is not

established as such, but it is quantified within

plastic waste, of which there is no record in

quantities since there is no diagnosis of waste

generation.

Of the population surveyed, 56.3% represent

fixed businesses and the rest represent street

businesses, as shown below in figure 5.

Figure 5. Type of trade surveyed (fixed).

or itinerant)

9 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

The total of the establishments surveyed is

constituted by 84.4% of food stores, 8.3% of sales stores and 7.3% of establishments of the

educational line as shown below in figure 6.

At this point it is necessary to mention that the

surveyed cooperatives of educational institutions

reported that they have policies to reduce single-

use plastics generated as a result of the Clean

School program of the Government of Mexico,

which seeks to promote responsible consumption

in educational communities, the proper

management of solid waste and not use single-

use plastics.

Unfortunately, most cooperatives do not comply

with these regulations, since there is no record in

awareness campaigns for the use of reusable

utensils, so the use of disposables is more

economically profitable.

In the case of food establishments, as well as for

cooperative areas in educational institutions, the

use of disposable products is vital to be able to

offer their services. Among the disposable

products most frequently identified among the

establishments surveyed are: plastic and unicel

cups; unicel dishes; cup lids; spoons or forks; and

with a lower proportion of use of plastic and

unicel containers; All these products made

mostly of polystyrene as shown below in Figure

Figure 7. Number of establishments and the type of disposable products they use

Figure 6. Turnover of the establishments

surveyed

10 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

By counting the number of packages per month

used by the surveyed businesses, the results

shown below in figure 8 are obtained, where it is

possible to appreciate the type of disposable

product and the number of packages of this used

per month.

Figure 8. Total packages used per month.

From the quantities of packages used per month

that were obtained, we proceeded to estimate the

weight in kilograms of waste generated, as can be

seen below in figure 9. According to the results

obtained, it is estimated that on a monthly basis

the 96 establishments surveyed generate an

average of 765.05 kg of unicel waste

(polystyrene) and 407,282 kg of plastic waste

(polyethylene), which significantly represents

the behavior of the total population.

Figure 9. Weight in kilograms of disposable products generated per month as waste.

11 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

Of the establishments surveyed, eight belonged

to the commercial line and the type of products

they offer are between white goods, kitchen and

appliances, motorcycles and mobility, among

others. According to the information obtained

from these establishments, they generate the

following waste (Figure 10).

Figure 10. Type of waste generated by commercial establishments.

The study shows that the surveyed

establishments that are part of a commercial

chain have established recycling programs, as

well as accreditations that guarantee their

compliance as responsible companies with the

environment. So, some of these companies take

care of their waste with recycling strategies

planned by the supply matrix of their products,

which collect the waste generated to avoid its

poor disposal. Otherwise, there are commercial

establishments in the municipality that do not

take care of their waste and conventionally send

it to the final waste disposal site of the

municipality.

In terms of quantities, most of these

establishments do not quantify their waste, only

some sporadic records in which the generation of

5 kilos per month of unicel is reported; and a

particular case in which 12 kg of unicel waste is

generated per month, as well as 20 kg per month

of clothes hooks, which are mostly made of

polystyrene.

From the surveys carried out, information is

obtained on the waste management that each

establishment gives to its waste. As can be seen

in figure 11, 92.7% of establishments deposit

their waste where the garbage passes, so its final

destination will be the municipal landfill; Of the

total respondents, only 5.2% recycle their waste

and as can be seen that, although minimal, there

is a percentage of establishments that incinerate

their waste.

Figure 11. Final disposal of plastic waste generated by surveyed establishments.

12 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

5. Conclusions

In general, it can be concluded that Misantla,

Ver. is a municipality with a high generation of

plastic waste. And what is even more aggravating

is that most of the waste generated ends up in the

municipal landfill, so it is very likely that, when

it reaches the final disposal site, this waste will

continue with the trend described in different

studies of the literature, which support, that its

final destination is incineration, generating an

important problem or on the other hand its

permanence in nature as a polluting agent.

In order to generate strategies for the collection

and post-consumer use of polystyrene waste

generated in the municipality of Misantla, and

subsequently implement a circular economy

model, it was essential to characterize the

participating actors. This characterization shows

that their degree of participation is deficient,

given that government actors have no knowledge

about the quantities of polystyrene waste

generated in the municipality and have no control

over its final disposal. In addition, the social actor

is unaware of the damage that this waste causes

to the environment and does not know how it can

be reused after consumption, but, above all, it

lacks the necessary conditions to achieve this.

This study provides evidence on this situation

and the information on the importance of paying

attention to the generation of polystyrene waste,

since it has been shown that even more of this is

generated than other plastic waste. It is now

necessary to characterize the properties of

polystyrene waste generated by food

establishments and different businesses that were

evidenced in this study, to identify the way in

which the different actors (governmental and

social) related to its generation and management

should participate and jointly achieve the

implementation of a circular economy model for

the collection and post-consumer use of such

waste.

The results of this study show that 87% more

polystyrene waste is generated in the surveyed

establishments compared to polypropylene or

other plastic waste. If you consider that these

results represent the amounts of waste generated

by the total study population, the problem is even

greater. Despite this situation, in Mexico, the

General Law for the Prevention and Integral

Management of Waste (LGPGIR), which

promotes sustainable development through the

prevention of the generation, recovery and

integral management of hazardous waste,

municipal solid waste and special handling; It is

not applied regularly. In addition, it was until

2021, when this law was reformed on the issue of

single-use plastics, these reforms were aimed at

strengthening the prevention of the generation,

minimization, separation, collection, use,

recovery, collection and integral management of

plastic waste; this reflects the non-existence of

control and management of plastic waste in

Mexico from 2021 backwards, leading to

environmental problems due to the polluting

characteristics of these residues that remain for

decades in ecosystems.

The LGPGIR foresees by 2025 the total

elimination of single-use plastics, except those

that cannot be replaced by other materials; It also

proposes to prohibit its use, consumption,

commercialization, distribution or entry into

protected or insular natural areas; A fact that in

most of the states of the Mexican Republic was

supported by the restriction of the use of single-

use plastics, as well as modifying state legislation

to prohibit or regulate the use of plastic bags,

straws or unicel items. As in the case of

Veracruz, which since 2018 approved a law

reform to reduce the use of plastics and straws in

favor of environmentally friendly alternatives.

Despite the modifications to the laws and

generation of new regulations, such as those

mentioned above; The reality in their application

13 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

is very distant from the objective for which they

are generated. The lack of awareness in society

about the problem generated by waste, the lack

of sanctions by the government bodies in charge

of these laws to their violators, in addition to the

lack of strategies with circularity approaches

from the generators of plastic products; They

prevent meeting the objective of reducing plastic

waste.

As for government strategies for the management

of plastic waste, the development of recycling

campaigns does not include materials such as

unicel, as it is considered a difficult material to

recycle, even though numerous studies show

otherwise and the large quantities of this waste

that are discarded. This gap generates the

opportunity to create channels for the recovery of

this waste to later analyze strategies for its post-

consumption use. These channels and strategies

should be based on the inclusion of actors

involved in the value chain of these products; the

public agent in charge of regulating this type of

waste, the private agent that produces these

products (the single-use plastics industry), and

the social agent who, as the final consumer of

these products, should take a responsible

consumption stance.

With the results of this study, the need for actions

for the separation and integral management of

polystyrene waste is based and creates an area of

opportunity to study its post-consumer use based

on the circularity of plastics, following circular

economy models such as those that have been

developed in Europe in recent years.

Now that there is a specific panorama on the

generation of polystyrene waste in the

municipality of Misantla, Ver. And since it was a

previous study to know the current situation on

the generation of polystyrene waste, it is

advisable to carry out a study on the generation

per capita in accordance with the provisions of

the regulations of the current issue of waste to

begin with the generation of strategies for the

valorization of said waste and to be able to

estimate viability situations on the use of these

wastes, with possible applications in the

development of composite materials, lacquers

and varnishes, materials with improved

properties or their reincorporation into the value

chain.

6. Authorship acknowledgements

Romeo García Cruz: Research; Original draft

writing; Methodology. David Reyes González:

Conceptualization; Analysis of data;

Methodology. Yodaira Borroto Pentón: Data

analysis; Validation of results. Neira Sánchez

Zárate: Conceptualization; Investigation; Formal

analysis. Yensy Fernández Pentón:

Methodology; Data collection; Data curation.

Cleotilde Anahí Álvarez Contreras: Formal

analysis; Validation of results.

References

[1] J. Hidalgo-Crespo, C. M. Moreira, F. X. Jervis, M.

Soto, J. L. Amaya, and L. Banguera, "Circular

economy of expanded polystyrene container

production: Environmental benefits of household

waste recycling considering renewable energies,"

Energy Reports, vol. 8, pp. 306-311, Jun. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.01.071

[2] OCDE, "La contaminación por plástico crece sin

cesar, en tanto que la gestión de residuos y el reciclaje

se quedan cortos, dice la OCDE." Accessed: Aug. 10,

2023. [Online]. Available:

https://www.oecd.org/espanol/noticias/perspectivas-

globales-del-plastico.htm

[3] J. Hidalgo-Crespo, F. X. Jervis, C. M. Moreira, M.

Soto, and J. L. Amaya, "Introduction of the circular

economy to expanded polystyrene household waste:

A case study from an Ecuadorian plastic

manufacturer," Procedia CIRP, vol. 90, pp. 49-54,

Jan. 2020,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2020.01.089

14 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

[4] M. A. Mollehuara, A. R. Cuadrado, V. L. Vidal,

and S. D. Camargo, "Systematic review: Analysis of

the use of D-limonene to Reduce the Environmental

Impact of Discarded Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).,"

IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci, vol. 1048, no. 1, p.

012003, Jul. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1048/1/012003

[5] J. Hidalgo-Crespo, M. Soto, J. L. Amaya-Rivas,

and M. Santos-Méndez, "Carbon and water footprint

for the recycling process of expanded polystyrene

(EPS) post-consumer waste.," Procedia CIRP, vol.

105, pp. 452-457, Jan. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2022.02.075

[6] N. Montalvo-Romero, A. Montiel-Rosales, G.

Fernández-Lambert, and E. Fernández-Echeverría,

"Development of an Adhesive Based on Waste

Management as a Mechanism Towards

Sustainability," Sustainability 2022, Vol. 14, Page

13225, vol. 14, no. 20, p. 13225, Oct. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013225

[7] N. García Campos and 1032436999, "Evaluación

del impacto ambiental de la aplicación de un plan de

gestión pos consumo de Poliestireno Expandido

(EPS) utilizado en el envase de alimentos en

Colombia," 2020, Accessed: Aug. 22, 2023. [Online].

Available:

https://repository.universidadean.edu.co/handle/1088

2/9794

[8] G. F. Dos Reis Paganotto, G. D. De Barros, V. G.

Marques, and A. S. Takimi, "Production of recycled

EPS fibers by centrifugal spinning," Matéria (Rio de

Janeiro), vol. 26, no. 2, p. e12954, May 2021,

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-707620210002.1254.

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1517-707620210002.1254

[9] W. Sriprom, A. Sirivallop, A. Choodum, W.

Limsakul, and W. Wongniramaikul, "Plastic/Natural

Fiber Composite Based on Recycled Expanded

Polystyrene Foam Waste," Polymers 2022, Vol. 14,

Page 2241, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 2241, May 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14112241

[10] M. N. Uddin, F. J. Desai, and E. Asmatulu,

"Biomimetic electrospun nanocomposite fibers from

recycled polystyrene foams exhibiting

superhydrophobicity," Energy Ecol Environ, vol. 5,

no. 1, pp. 1-11, Feb. 2020,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40974-019-00140-7

[11] SEMARNAT, "Tiraderos a cielo abierto dañan

ambiente y salud humana." Accessed: Jun. 01, 2023.

[Online]. Available:

https://www.gob.mx/semarnat/es/articulos/tiraderos-

a-cielo-abierto-danan-ambiente-y-salud-

humana?idiom=es

[12] V. Osorio-Hernández, … B. B.-C. L., and

undefined 2022, "Diagnóstico del manejo de resíduos

sólidos urbanos: estúdio de caso del municipio de

Chicoloapan, estado de México,"

ciencialatina.orgVO Osorio-Hernández, BNM

Bautista, RA Huerta-PaniaguaCiencia Latina Revista

Científica Multidisciplinar, 2022•ciencialatina.org,

Accessed: Aug. 23, 2023. [Online]. Available:

https://ciencialatina.org/index.php/cienciala/article/v

iew/2880

https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i4.2880

[13] N. Montalvo-Romero, A. Montiel-Rosales, G.

Fernández-Lambert, and E. Fernández-Echeverría,

"Development of an Adhesive Based on Waste

Management as a Mechanism Towards

Sustainability," Sustainability 2022, Vol. 14, Page

13225, vol. 14, no. 20, p. 13225, Oct. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3390/SU142013225.

[14] R. A. Sheldon and M. Norton, "Green chemistry

and the plastic pollution challenge: towards a circular

economy," Green Chemistry, vol. 22, no. 19, pp.

6310-6322, Oct. 2020,

https://doi.org/10.1039/D0GC02630A

[15] C. T. de Oliveira, M. M. M. Mônica, and L. M.

S. Campos, "Understanding the Brazilian expanded

polystyrene supply chain and its reverse logistics

towards circular economy," J Clean Prod, vol. 235,

pp. 562-573, Oct. 2019,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.06.319

[16] T. T. A. Nguyen, Y. T. Ta, and P. K. Dey,

"Developing a plastic cycle toward circular economy

practice," Green Processing and Synthesis, vol. 11,

no. 1, pp. 526-535, Jan. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1515/gps-2022-0014

15 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

[17] D. Roy, E. Berry, K. Orr, and M. Dempster,

"Challenges to creating a circular economy to

minimise plastic waste: a qualitative study of

stakeholders," 2022,

https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/z74rf

[18] J. Hidalgo-Crespo, C. M. Moreira, F. X. Jervis,

M. Soto, J. L. Amaya, and L. Banguera, "Circular

economy of expanded polystyrene container

production: Environmental benefits of household

waste recycling considering renewable energies,"

Energy Reports, vol. 8, pp. 306-311, Jun. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.01.071

[19] C. Stallkamp, J. Steins, M. Ruck, R. Volk, and F.

Schultmann, "Designing a Recycling Network for the

Circular Economy of Plastics with Different Multi-

Criteria Optimization Approaches," Sustainability

2022, Vol. 14, Page 10913, vol. 14, no. 17, p. 10913,

Sep. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710913

[20] P. Moghaddam Fard and M. G. Alkhansari,

"Innovative fire and water insulation foam using

recycled plastic bags and expanded polystyrene

(EPS)," Constr Build Mater, vol. 305, p. 124785, Oct.

2021,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124785

[21] S. Yadav, S. Mattaparthi, K. Sreenivasulu, M.

Khandelwal, S. Majumdar, and C. S. Sharma,

"Recycling of thermoplastic polystyrene waste using

citrus peel extract for oil spill remediation," J Appl

Polym Sci, vol. 136, no. 33, p. 47886, Sep. 2019,

https://doi.org/10.1002/app.47886

[22] C. A. Torres Sarmiento, "Diagnóstico del manejo

de residuos sólidos en una empresa del sector

petroquímico-plástico y formulación del plan de

gestión de acuerdo a la NTC GTC 24 /,"

http://biblioteca.utb.edu.co/notas/tesis/0068945. pdf,

2015, Accessed: Aug. 13, 2023. [Online]. Available:

https://repositorio.utb.edu.co/handle/20.500.12585/1

582

[23] S. G. C. Pérez and R. Flores-Xolocotzi,

"Generación de residuos sólidos urbanos municipales

y su relación con un indicador de ingreso municipal

en México (años 2010 y 2015)," Revista de Ciencias

Ambientales, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 1-22, Nov. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.15359/rca.57-1.7

[24] S. Chamizo-Checa, J. SJuárez-Sánchez, H.

Muñoz Nava, A. Chamizo Checa, M. F. Carreón-

Coca, and V. Alburquerque Reyes, "Estimación de la

generación y composición de reiduos sólidos en

Papalotla, Tlaxcala," Ciencia Latina Revista

Científica Multidisciplinar, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 9071-

9085, Dec. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i6.4058

[25] D. Cordova-Pizarro, I. Aguilar-Barajas, D.

Romero, and C. A. Rodriguez, "Circular Economy in

the Electronic Products Sector: Material Flow

Analysis and Economic Impact of Cellphone E-

Waste in Mexico," Sustainability 2019, Vol. 11, Page

1361, vol. 11, no. 5, p. 1361, Mar. 2019,

https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051361

[26] S. G. Ceballos Pérez, J. de J. Brambila Paz, V.

Pérez Cerecedo, S. G. Ceballos Pérez, J. de J.

Brambila Paz, and V. Pérez Cerecedo, "Residuos

sólidos urbanos y economía circular en Pachuca,

Hidalgo, México," Acta Univ, vol. 32, pp. 1-16, Jun.

2022, https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2022.3437

[27] J. A. Araiza-Aguilar, M. N. Rojas-Valencia, and

R. A. Aguilar-Vera, "Forecast generation model of

municipal solid waste using multiple linear

regression," Global Journal of Environmental Science

and Management, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 1-14, Jan. 2020,

https://doi.org/10.22034/GJESM.2020.01.01.

[28] C. Persson Osowski, D. Osowski, K. Johansson,

N. Sundin, C. Malefors, and M. Eriksson, "From Old

Habits to New Routines-A Case Study of Food Waste

Generation and Reduction in Four Swedish Schools,"

Resources 2022, Vol. 11, Page 5, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 5,

Jan. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3390/resources11010005

[29] V. I. Pierini, N. Mazzeo, M. Cazenave, and M.

Semmartin, "Waste generation and pro-

environmental behaviors at household level: A citizen

science study in Buenos Aires (Argentina)," Resour

Conserv Recycl, vol. 170, p. 105560, Jul. 2021,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105560

16 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

[30] A. Abdullah, M. S. Abbasi, A. Ali, M. W. Saeed,

M. Sayed, and A. G. Qazi, "Residential solid waste

generation and classification study of ten headquarter

cities of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan," J Mater

Cycles Waste Manag, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 2065-2075,

Sep. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-021-

01265-w

[31] L. A. Adeniyi and A. O. Afon, "Seasonal

quantification and characterization of solid waste

generation in tertiary institution: a case study," J

Mater Cycles Waste Manag, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 1172-

1181, May 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-

022-01390-0

[32] J. Ye, Y. Song, Y. Liu, and Y. Zhong,

"Assessment of medical waste generation, associated

environmental impact, and management issues after

the outbreak of COVID-19: A case study of the Hubei

Province in China," PLoS One, vol. 17, no. 1, p.

e0259207, Jan. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259207

[33] K. Al-Omran, E. Khan, N. Ali, and M. Bilal,

"Estimation of COVID-19 generated medical waste

in the Kingdom of Bahrain," Sci Total Environ, vol.

801, Dec. 2021,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149642

[34] M. Singh, N. Karimi, K. T. W. Ng, D. Mensah,

D. Stilling, and K. Adusei, "Hospital waste

generation during the first wave of COVID-19

pandemic: a case study in Delhi," Environmental

Science and Pollution Research, vol. 29, no. 33, pp.

50780-50789, Jul. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19487-2

[35] J. E. Black, K. Kopke, and C. O'Mahony,

"Towards a Circular Economy: Using Stakeholder

Subjectivity to Identify Priorities, Consensus, and

Conflict in the Irish EPS/XPS Market," Sustainability

2019, Vol. 11, Page 6834, vol. 11, no. 23, p. 6834,

Dec. 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236834

[36] C. Demacsek, L. Tange, A. Reichenecker, and G.

Altnau, "PolyStyreneLoop - The circular economy in

action," IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci, vol. 323, no.

1, p. 012149, Aug. 2019,

https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012149

[37] C. T. de Oliveira, M. M. M. Mônica, and L. M.

S. Campos, "Understanding the Brazilian expanded

polystyrene supply chain and its reverse logistics

towards circular economy," J Clean Prod, vol. 235,

pp. 562-573, Oct. 2019,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.06.319

[38] V. Uemura Silva et al., "Circular vs. linear

economy of building materials: A case study for

particleboards made of recycled wood and

biopolymer vs. conventional particleboards," Constr

Build Mater, vol. 285, p. 122906, May 2021,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.122906

[39] M. D. González, P. Plaza Caballero, D. B.

Fernández, M. M. Jordán Vidal, I. F. S. Del Bosque,

and C. Medina Martínez, "The Design and

Development of Recycled Concretes in a Circular

Economy Using Mixed Construction and Demolition

Waste," Materials 2021, Vol. 14, Page 4762, vol. 14,

no. 16, p. 4762, Aug. 2021,

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164762

[40] A. Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, "Biopolymers in

Aerobic Granular Sludge-Their Role in Wastewater

Treatment and Possibilities of Re-Use in Line with

Circular Economy," Energies 2021, Vol. 14, Page

7219, vol. 14, no. 21, p. 7219, Nov. 2021, doi:

10.3390/EN14217219.

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217219

[41] J. A. Araiza Aguilar, J. C. Chávez Moreno, J. A.

Moreno Pérez, J. A. Araiza Aguilar, J. C. Chávez

Moreno, and J. A. Moreno Pérez, "Cuantificación de

Residuos Sólidos Urbanos Generados en la Cabecera

Municipal de Berriozábal, Chiapas, México," Revista

internacional de contaminación ambiental, vol. 33,

no. 4, pp. 691-699, 2017,

https://doi.org/10.20937/RICA.2017.33.04.12

[42] CEIEG, "Cuadernillos Municipales 2021,"

Comité de Información Estadística y Geográfica del

Estado de Veracruz. Accessed: Aug. 13, 2023.

[Online]. Available:

http://ceieg.veracruz.gob.mx/2021/06/17/cuadernillo

s-municipales-2021/

17 ISSN: 2594-1925

Revista de Ciencias Tecnológicas (RECIT). Volumen 6 (4): e313.

[43] INEGI, "Anuario estadístico y geográfico de

Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave," Instituto Nacional

de Estadística y Geografía. Accessed: Aug. 13, 2023.

[Online]. Available:

https://www.inegi.org.mx/app/biblioteca/ficha.html?

upc=702825094980

[44] A. I. Jacqueline Cisneros-Caicedo, J. Jesús

Urdánigo-Cedeño III, A. I. Fabián Guevara-García,

and J. I. Enmanuel Garcés-Bravo, "Técnicas e

Instrumentos para la Recolección de Datos que

Apoyan a la Investigación Cientí¬fica en Tiempo de

Pandemia," Domino de las Ciencias, vol. 8, no. 1, pp.

1165-1185, Jan. 2022,

https://doi.org/10.23857/dc.v8i1.2546

[45] C. N. Díaz, Técnicas de muestreo. Sesgos más

frecuentes., Revistas Sedén., vol. 9. 2006.

Fernandez Penton, Cleotilde Anahí Álvarez Contreras

Este texto está protegido por una licencia Creative Commons 4.0.

Usted es libre para compartir —copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato — y adaptar el documento —

remezclar, transformar y crear a partir del material— para cualquier propósito, incluso para fines comerciales, siempre que

cumpla la condición de:

Atribución: Usted debe dar crédito a la obra original de manera adecuada, proporcionar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se

han realizado cambios. Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que tiene el apoyo del

licenciante o lo recibe por el uso que hace de la obra.

Resumen de licencia - Texto completo de la licencia