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Read morePlastic recycling is the process of recovering waste or scrap plastic and reprocessing these materials into other functional and practical products. Because almost all plastic is non-biodegradable, it must be recycled as part of the global efforts to reduce plastic and other solid waste in the environment.
Plastics should be recycled because of several reasons:
The amount of plastic that is recycled varies depending on the location and the specific types of plastic being recycled. In general, however, global recycling rates for plastic are low. Only 9% of all plastic produces is recycled globally. This means that 91% of plastic produced ends up in landfills or the environment.
On a daily basis, the amount of plastic recycled may depend on the recycling infrastructure and programs available in a specific area, as well as the amount of plastic waste generated. For example, a city with a well-established recycling program and high participation rates may see more plastic recycled on a daily basis than a city without such a program.
No, not all plastic is recyclable. Plastic is made up of a wide variety of polymers, each with their own properties and characteristics. Some types of plastic are more easily recyclable than others.
Plastics are made from a wide variety of materials, but the most common type of plastic is made from a polymer called polyethylene. Polyethylene is a long chain of repeating units of a chemical called ethylene.
Polyethylene is the most common plastic and it is used in a wide range of products such as bottles, containers, bags, and packaging materials. There are different types of polyethylene, including low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
Some plastics are also made from a combination of different materials, such as bioplastics which are made from renewable resources such as plant materials.
Some types of plastic are highly recyclable, while others aren't. The key to which plastics are recyclable is to examine the plastic for that little triangle made of arrows and then look up the number inside it. Plastic numbers 1, 2, 4 & 5 can be recycled.
You may not have heard of PLA, a new form of compostable plastic made from corn starch. While PLA is compostable, it, along with the other #7s, is not recyclable.
Recyclers that process industrial plastic waste are very selective in accepting the collected plastic waste. They are actively looking for plastic waste streams suitable for recycling into regranulate or products for their buyers. In this manner, some industrial plastic waste material can be recycled profitably, with limited processing.
Plastic recycling is broken up into different stages to be further used for making various types of products. Generally, these stages remain the same for most recycling facilities, but specific steps can be combined or omitted in some situations.
The following is a step by step process of plastic recycling:
The plastic may be moved to different plants that specialize in other process steps throughout this process.
There have been several recent innovations in plastic recycling:
All of these innovations aim to increase the recycling rate, decrease the amount of plastic waste and the negative impact of plastic on the environment.
Some of the plastic recycling technologies currently in use include:
A plastic recycling company consists of many scrap suppliers, a recycling plant, shipping facilities, and buyers of the end product.
Plastic recycling companies prefer to purchase directly from larger suppliers, such as retail stores and chain restaurants.
Any successful plastic recycling company needs an uninterrupted supply of scrap plastic.
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