Ethan Clarke
Plastic is everywhere, and plastic waste is a key concern for environmentalists, governments, and organizations. While recycling is critical to improving the environment and bettering waste management, not all plastics are created equal, and not all plastics are recycled. In fact, only 9% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic ever produced has been recycled. The type of plastic, its ability to be effectively recovered, and the existence of markets for specific plastic types all affect recyclability. For example, while PET bottles are the most widely recycled plastic globally, with a 57% recovery rate in Michigan, other plastics like PVC cannot be recycled. Additionally, products made of plastic may be stamped with a resin code, indicated by a number from 1 to 7 inside a small triangle, but the presence of this code does not guarantee recyclability.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Recyclability | PET is the most widely recycled plastic in the world, followed by HDPE. |
| Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) cannot be recycled. | |
| LDPE and PP can sometimes be recycled. | |
| Polycarbonate can be recycled but requires a chemical process. | |
| Only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled. | |
| Plastic cannot be incinerated as it releases harmful gases. | |
| Plastic is hard to recycle if it is thin or has multiple types of plastic and layers. | |
| Plastic must be clean and free of food and liquid before being recycled. | |
| The recycling symbol does not guarantee recyclability. |
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What You'll Learn
The most widely recycled plastic is PET
While almost all plastic can be recycled in principle, in practice, this is not always the case due to various economic, technical, and environmental barriers. One of the most widely recycled plastics is Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which is used to package 70% of carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, dilutable drinks, and bottled water. PET is lightweight, durable, safe, and has a smaller carbon footprint than alternatives, making it a popular choice for packaging.
PET is one of the few polymers that can be recycled into the same form repeatedly, such as a new beverage bottle. This makes it a highly sought-after material for recycling, as it reduces the need for fresh PET to be manufactured, lowering emissions and environmental impact. Recycled PET products can show a drop of up to 90% in CO2 emissions compared to virgin PET. PET is also used in the construction industry in third-world countries, where plastic bottles are filled with sand, stacked, and cemented together to form walls.
PET is easy to identify by its number 1 logo, which can be found inside the triple arrow recycling symbol on plastic packaging. This symbol indicates that the packaging is made from PET and is widely recycled. In Europe, approximately 58% of PET bottles are recycled, with India, South Korea, and other countries also achieving recycling rates above 50%.
While PET is widely recycled, it is not perfect. PET waste can take hundreds of years to completely degrade, and during this time, it can pose a serious threat to ecosystems, food safety, and human health. Additionally, the proliferation of PET products has resulted in a negative environmental footprint, with large quantities of PET released into the environment during production, application, and disposal.
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HDPE is 100% recyclable
While not all plastics are created equal, and recycling can be a complex process, HDPE is 100% recyclable. HDPE stands for High-Density Polyethylene, which is made from the monomer ethylene. It is a thermoplastic, which means it can be softened when heated and moulded, and then hardens when cooled, without altering the material's properties. This makes it incredibly versatile, as it is lightweight, strong, malleable, impact-resistant, weather-resistant, and long-lasting.
HDPE is one of the most widely collected and recycled materials, and it can be recycled indefinitely. It is commonly used for milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and detergent containers, but also for fuel tanks, piping, and children's toys. The recycling process for HDPE typically involves shredding, melting, and pelletization. The plastic is finely shredded and then melted down to produce granulate/pellets. These pellets can then be used to make a variety of products, such as shopping bags, storage bins, refuse/recycling bins, automotive parts, trays, flowerpots, gardening tools, garden furniture, floor tiles, rope, and crates.
Companies like PakTech have embraced the use of 100% recycled and recyclable HDPE for their packaging handles, keeping millions of milk jugs out of the waste stream and reducing the use of virgin petroleum. The use of recycled HDPE in manufacturing generates 78% less greenhouse gas, uses 90% less energy, and reduces virgin petroleum production by 100%.
Overall, HDPE is a highly recyclable material with a wide range of applications, making it an important part of sustainable practices and the circular economy.
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Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) cannot be recycled
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a widely used plastic material in various industries. It is used for multiple applications, ranging from pipes and cables to flooring and packaging. It is also used in kayaks, pharmaceutical packaging, medical tubes, windows, and more. It is a soft, flexible plastic, so it is used for a huge array of household products, such as plastic tubing, kids' toys, plastic trays, and furniture.
Despite its widespread use, concerns about the material's environmental impact have been raised. The answer to the question of whether PVC can be recycled is a bit complicated. Firstly, it is important to understand that not all plastics are created equal, and the same goes for recycled plastics. The term "plastics" encompasses a wide range of materials, each with very different properties and uses.
PVC is considered difficult to recycle due to its complex composition and low thermal stability. It contains chlorine, which, when incinerated, creates dioxin, a heavy-duty environmental pollutant. The incineration of PVC can also release other toxic gases, such as hydrogen chloride, which require advanced filtration systems to prevent environmental harm. Therefore, special care must be taken when disposing of PVC waste.
While it is possible to recycle PVC, it is not as simple as recycling other types of plastics. PVC can be recycled through mechanical recycling processes and feedstock recycling. Mechanical recycling involves grinding down PVC into a clean "regrind" plastic, which can then be reused. Feedstock recycling involves processing PVC into valuable raw materials for the chemical industry through thermal decomposition. However, this requires a large investment in the construction of specialized installations. Additionally, in the case of energy recovery, PVC can occur as a fraction mixed with other types of waste, but the resources contained in this waste are irretrievably excluded from the circular economy.
Overall, while it is technically possible to recycle PVC, it is not as straightforward as recycling other types of plastics due to its complex composition and the potential environmental hazards involved in its disposal. It requires specialized facilities and processes, and the recycled material may be of lower quality due to the additives used in PVC production.
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Polycarbonate can be recycled, but not mechanically
Plastic is one of the most complex materials to recycle. This is partly because consumers don't know what types can be disposed of and how. Polycarbonate, a type of plastic, can be recycled, but not through traditional mechanical recycling methods.
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic polymer with a high level of transparency, excellent impact resistance, and heat resistance. It is used in a wide range of industries, including automotive, electronics, and medical devices. Due to its superior properties, polycarbonate is a popular choice for applications that require durability and strength.
While polycarbonate can be recycled, the process is complex and requires specific conditions. It is often recycled through a process known as pyrolysis, which involves heating the material to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen to break it down into its constituent parts. This method can produce a high-quality material with few impurities, but it requires specialized equipment and can be expensive.
Another method of recycling polycarbonate is chemical recycling, which involves breaking down the polycarbonate into its constituent monomers to make new polycarbonate or other plastics. This method can produce a higher-quality material with fewer impurities but requires specialized equipment and can be costly.
Mechanical recycling, on the other hand, involves shredding the polycarbonate into small pieces and then melting them down to form new products. This method is relatively simple and inexpensive. However, it can result in lower-quality material due to impurities and degradation caused by heat. Therefore, polycarbonate is not typically recycled through mechanical means.
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Plastic is not always recycled due to economic, environmental and technical reasons
Plastic is inherently difficult to recycle due to its complex chemical makeup and durability. There are seven different types of plastic used around the world, and they differ in size, colour, usage, and disposal. While almost all plastic can be recycled in principle, in practice, there are a variety of economic, environmental, and technical barriers that can undermine this process.
One of the economic barriers to recycling plastic is the cost of building and operating recycling facilities, which can run into the millions. Consequently, small quantities of plastics can make recycling non-economical and non-beneficial due to low efficiencies and high costs. For example, LDPE, a cheap and low-quality plastic, is rarely recycled because it is not financially worthwhile. Similarly, polypropylene (PP) is one of the most popular plastic packaging materials globally, but only around 1-3% is recycled in the US because it is difficult and expensive to recycle.
From an environmental standpoint, some plastics are not recycled because they are contaminated by food or other substances, making them unfit for the recycling process. For instance, oil residue in an empty oil container can render it unrecyclable. Additionally, certain plastics, like PVC, have manufacturing processes that release dangerous chemicals, and when incinerated, produce chlorine, which creates dioxin, a significant environmental pollutant.
Lastly, technical barriers to recycling plastic include the difficulty of separating and recycling items made of multiple types of plastic and layers. This complexity in the recycling process can result in downcycling, where the quality of the plastic degrades with each cycle, making it suitable for only one or two more cycles before becoming redundant. Furthermore, the presence of over 13,000 chemicals in plastics, with more than 3,200 known to be hazardous to human health, poses significant challenges to recycling. The recycling process can even increase toxicity levels as chemicals mix, leading to toxic recycled products.
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Frequently asked questions
No, not all plastics are recycled. In fact, only 9% of all the plastic that has ever been produced has been recycled.
There are many economical, environmental, and technical barriers to recycling all plastics. For example, some plastics are incredibly hard to recycle, such as crisp packets, salad bags, and plastic wrap.
There are seven different types of plastic used around the world, ranging from 1 to 7, with 7 being 'other'. The most widely recycled type of plastic is PET, which is mostly found in plastic bottles.
There are two main ways to recycle plastic: mechanical recycling and chemical recycling. In mechanical recycling, plastic is washed, ground, and melted, whereas in chemical recycling, plastic is broken down into monomers to form new polymers.
Make sure your plastic is empty and clean before placing it in the recycling bin. Check with your local recycling program to see which types of plastics it accepts.
