Individual types of popular “plastics” show significant differences in their composition, application, and specific properties. A large portion of them are suitable for recycling; however, some are very difficult and time-consuming to recycle, or even impossible. In today’s article, we will tell you which plastic waste can be reused, what recycling techniques we distinguish, and what benefits this brings to our planet. Enjoy reading!
Which plastics are recyclable?
Currently, the most commonly used method is mechanical recycling, also known as material recycling, which involves appropriately shredding plastic to obtain a regranulate, sometimes involving thermal treatment. Within material recycling,it is very simple and straightforward to process some of the most popular plastics – e.g., polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (pipes, windows), PET used for manufacturing plastic bottles, polycarbonate (PC),polystyrene (PS) used for products such as styrofoam, polyamide (PA), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) terpolymer.
Another method, which is significantly more difficult to carry out, is feedstock (chemical) recycling. A major advantage of this process is the ability to process plastics without the need for prior segregation. Unlike mechanical recycling, the plastic is not converted into regranulate here – through the process of depolymerization, the raw materials used to produce the given plastic are recovered.
Plastic recycling – immense benefits for the natural environment
Recycling plastic waste primarily allows for the effective reduction of environmental pollution. Efficient processing of plastics using modern recycling methods also means saving hectoliters of water and millions of kilowatts of electricity, and thus significantly lower CO2 emissions. That is exactly why it is so important to sort waste according to the pictograms on the packaging!
Biplast s.c. has the capability for closed-loop production. We possess a slow-speed beside-the-press granulator and appropriately selected magnets, which enables us to reuse sprues or other production waste.
