4 Common Plastic Recycling Processes You Should Be Aware Of

Many organizations have embraced strategies that ensure efficient recycling of plastic. This has helped contribute to the plastic industry’s transition to a circular economy while reducing harmful emissions. By retaining discarded plastic waste as a useful resource in the circular economy, industries have been able to save a lot of money and resources.

The recycling process begins with the collection stage where plastic is collected from various resources. This is followed by the sorting stage where separated plastic is delivered to plants where recycling takes place through any of the following processes:

•  Mechanical recycling:

In this process, plastic waste is converted into secondary raw products or materials. This is done without changing its chemical structure. Mechanical recycling is easily the most popular recycling process and it can be used to recycle a variety of thermoplastics without impacting their quality. 

•   Chemical recycling:

In this process, chemical methods such as gasification, pyrolysis, hydro-cracking, and depolymerisation are applied to alter the chemical structure of plastic waste. This conversion results in the creation of plastic with shorter molecules, which are then deployed as feedstock for newer chemical reactions to create new recycled plastic. This process offers immense scalability for the recycling industry.

•  Dissolution recycling:

In this process, purification takes place. The polymer present in plastic waste is dissolved by using a solvent. This ensures the polymer is separated from the waste and collected in its pure form without any change in chemical nature. Various forms of polymers such as polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, and polypropylene already use this method to get separated from mixed plastic material waste.

• Organic recycling:

In this process, biodegradable plastic waste undergoes microbiological treatment in a controlled environment under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The output of this process includes organic residues, methane, carbon dioxide, and water.

As organizations focus more on plastic recycling, lesser amounts of plastic waste end up in incineration plants and landfills. Recycling helps to save energy and production costs by controlling the negative impact caused by the extraction of virgin materials.

To learn more about recycling in the plastic industry, we invite you to Plastivision 2023 (December 7 to 11, 2023). The prestigious event will be held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. Plastivision will be attended by the finest minds in the industry, giving you a unique networking opportunity right here in India. Call the Plastivision team at 022 6777 8846/48/+91 99303 55494 to learn more about the event!