A Study on Optimizing an Effective Online Platform to Address Plastic Waste Management in Sri Lanka

Main Article Content

H. S. R. A. Weerasinghe
D. C. D. Alwis
R. Ginorajh
G. D. S. Harischandra

Keywords

plastic waste management, environment, STG 12, PET bottles, online clothing, fashion

Abstract

Plastic waste is a severe environmental problem with far-reaching effects on the environment, human health, and the economy. Therefore, sustainable methods for managing plastic waste are essential to protecting the environment and guaranteeing a cleaner, healthier future for the next generations. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is currently grappling with a serious plastic waste management problem, with plastic waste volumes increasing rapidly over the years. However, the issue extends beyond environmental concerns, permeating social and economic spheres. Rapid urbanization, population growth, and low stakeholder awareness of the problem are some of the contributing factors. This requires introducing an effective and efficient system incorporating technology to improve solutions. The proliferation of technology has significantly impacted the global marketplace, resulting in an expanding customer and vendor base. This development has triggered a departure from traditional buying and selling methods, as digitalized platforms offer an efficient approach to securing ideal consumer products. Although countless online fashion platforms exist, many lack a commitment to environmental sustainability. This paper discusses a web-based application designed to accumulate PET (Plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles, recycle them, and convert them into clothing products. Web-based PET bottle collection is a new innovative feature that addresses this prominent environmental concern. The process generates various polyester threads by separating and reprocessing plastic waste, which is subsequently used to create desired clothes. The ultimate objective of the application is to establish an online clothing store that efficiently manages the plastic waste in Sri Lanka.

References

"The Sustainable Development Goals Report," United Nations, 2022.

"United Nations," 2022. [Online]. Available: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12.

E. T. A. A. A. S. K. E. A. N. A. G. G.N. Jayalath, "Status of Plastic Waste Generation and Propose a Circular Economy-Based Policy Framework to Manage Plastic Waste in Sri Lanka," Iosrjournals, vol. 15, no. 2, p. 15, 2021.

A. Smith, "Academia," 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.academia.edu/70509197/Online_Clothing_Business.

I. P. S. A. H. Muhammad Fachmi, "Academia," 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.academia.edu/44664421/Analysis_of_Factors_Affecting_Consumer_Purchase_Decision_at_Online_Shops.

B. S. M. R. K. Lakshmi Joshitha, "Plastic Waste Management," JETIR, vol. 6, no. 5, 2019.

A. Shankar, "Architectural Journalism - PET Plastic Waste," [Online]. Available: https://www.academia.edu/22480446/Architectural_Journalism_PET_Plastic_Waste_PLASTIC_WASTE_MANAGEMENT.

B. B. R. R. R. S. B. S. U. S. A. A.A.D.C. Amarasinghe, "Plastic Waste Management in Sri lanka," Journal of Research Technology & Engineering, vol. 1, no. 1, 2020.

P. Oleh, "Five Solutions to Managing Waste by UGM," [Online]. Available: https://sustainabledevelopment.ugm.ac.id/2019/03/29/five-solutions-to-managing-waste-by-ugm/.

"BEIER," Waste Plastic Recycling Line Recyclable Materials, [Online]. Available: https://www.beierrecycling.com/waste-plastic-recycling-line/.

H. Sun, "Sellers’ Trust and Continued Use of Online Marketplaces," Journal of the Association for Information Systems, vol. 11, no. 4, 2010.

"Turning Plastic Waste Into Clothes Made Out Of Plastic," trvst.world, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/turning-plastic-waste-into-clothes/.

"Can the Fashion Industry Kick Its Plastic Addiction?," Arch and Hook, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.wired.co.uk/bc/article/fashion-industry-plastic-addiction-arch-and-hook#:~:text=Each%20year%2C%20the%20industry%20uses,of%20the%20globe's%20oil%20consumption.

"Plastics are Fashion: Recycled Plastics are Transforming the Clothing Industry," Plastics Industry Association, [Online]. Available: https://thisisplastics.com/innovation/plastics-are-fashion-recycled-plastics-are-transforming-the-clothing-industry/.

A. S. A. B. A. Anushree Gupta, "Customer Engagement in the Online Clothing Industry," International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), vol. 8, no. 7, 2020.

L. R. F. Ronald E. Goldsmith, "Psychological and behavioral drivers of online clothing purchase," Emerald Insight, vol. 8, no. 1, 2004.

K. Zyminkowska, "Customer Engagement Behaviour in the Fashion Industry," International Conference on Marketing and Business Development Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, 2015.

N. A. F. Safwa Farook, "Influence of Social Media Marketing on Customer Engagement," International Journal of Business and Management Invention, vol. 5, no. 12, 2016.

R. G. B. C. Al-Somali, "Science Direct," February 2009. [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166497208000850?via%3Dihub.

G. L. Mohamed Muse Hassan, "International Journal Of Entrepreneurial Knowledge," 2021. [Online]. Available: https://ijek.org/index.php/IJEK/article/view/121.

P. A. Pavlou, "SSRN," 2003. [Online]. Available: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2742286.

M. K. A. M. C. S. S. Monika Mehra, "MERN Stack Web Development," Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology, vol. 25, no. 6, 2021.

M. T. I. A. G. a. V. S. Rumana Hossain, "Challenges and prospects for plastic waste management in Australia to achieve circular economy," Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 368, 2022.

T. Y. J.-Y. L. Shin-ichi Sakai, "Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management," Official Journal of the Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management (JSMCWM) and the Korea Society of Waste Management (KSWM), vol. 25, no. 2, 2023.

"A&C Plastics," [Online]. Available: https://www.acplasticsinc.com/informationcenter/r/7-different-types-of-plastic-and-how-they-are-used.

A. C. Bao, "E-Commerce Cloud Solutions To Help Enterprises Realize The Appearance Of Future E-Commerce," 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.alibabacloud.com/tech-news/e-commerce/gi6tclkgl3-e-commerce-cloud-solutions-to-help-enterprises-realize-the-appearance-of-future-e-commerce.