DETERMINATION OF THE SANTIAGO DE CUBA'S PLASTIC WASTE FOOTPRINT. FIRST APPROACH

Abstract

Introduction:
Proper management of solid waste is important to improve quality of life and the natural environment. In Santiago de Cuba, large amounts of solid waste are generated, including plastics, and the footprint they leave behind is unknown. Plastics are among the most discarded wastes without considering their potential for reuse.
Objective:
To determine the ecological footprint of the plastics generated in Santiago de Cuba.
Materials and Methods:
The ecological footprint of discarded plastics was determined through the relationship between emitted tons of carbon dioxide and the average carbon fixation. Emissions were obtained from the amount of plastic multiplied by the emission factor.
Results and Discussion:
The variation of the ecological footprint from discarded plastics between 2011 and 2019 is shown. An area of 31,980.49 global hectares of forest is needed to assimilate the carbon dioxide emissions emitted by plastic waste generated in Santiago de Cuba in 2019 alone, a result equivalent to 75.6% of the surface area of the municipality "Julio Antonio Mella".
Conclusions:
In Santiago de Cuba, there has been an increase in the ecological footprint of plastics between 2011 and 2019, indicating the need to substantially change the current model of generation and management of this waste toward an efficient and responsible one, in which plastics do not become waste.