Sofia Martinez
Plastic recycling in New Zealand is an important topic, as the country aims to conserve its natural environment and resources for future generations. The Circular Economy, aligned with the concept of Kaitiakitanga, promotes the recycling and reuse of materials to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste. This includes the recycling of Number 5 PP plastic, commonly found in food packaging and household products. Individuals play a crucial role by ensuring their plastic containers are empty, clean, and bear the Number 5 PP plastic logo before dropping them off at designated collection points, such as supermarkets. These recycled plastics are then processed into raw material pellets, which are used to create new products, contributing to a more sustainable future for New Zealand.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic type | Number 5 PP plastic |
| Plastic items | Pasta sauce tubs, oyster tubs, medicine bottles, ice-cream tubs, yoghurt tubs, lunchboxes |
| Plastic state | Empty, washed, and dry |
| Collection point | Supermarkets |
| Collection service | PACKIT |
| Processing plant | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Processing capacity | 10,000 kg of Number 5 plastic per month |
| Processing method | Grinding, melting, and remanufacturing into raw material pellets |
| Raw material use | Building materials, gardening supplies, clothing, packaging |
| Recycling goal | Conserving the natural environment, reducing raw material use, supporting the Circular Economy |
| Soft plastic recycling | Accepted, including grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, plastic wrappers |
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What You'll Learn
Washing and sorting plastics for recycling
The plastic recycling process involves several steps, and one of the critical stages is washing and sorting the plastics. This process ensures that impurities and contaminants are removed, and the plastic is ready for further processing into new recycled products. Here is a detailed overview of the washing and sorting process:
Sorting Plastics:
The sorting process typically begins at households, where individuals separate plastic waste from regular waste, often using plastic bags. These bags are then collected and transported to sorting installations. At these facilities, the bags are torn open, and an extensive sorting process commences. Sorting is done to differentiate various types of plastics, such as soft plastics, hard plastics, and drink cartons. This differentiation is essential to ensure the quality and safety of the new recycled plastic products. For instance, it prevents shampoo bottles from being mixed with drink cartons. Additionally, metals are removed from the plastic using magnets to ensure no metal contaminants remain.
Infrared technology is employed to separate different types of plastics effectively. Sorting can also be done based on colour, size, and thickness. Optical sorting machines and sink-float separators are used to sort plastics by these characteristics. This extensive sorting process ensures that the plastic waste is adequately classified before moving on to the next stages of recycling.
Washing Plastics:
Washing is a crucial step in plastic recycling as it removes impurities and contaminants from the plastic. The washing process can be done with hot or cold water, sometimes with the assistance of caustic agents or detergents. This step ensures that adhesives, residual waste, food scraps, labels, glue, and dirt are eliminated from the plastic. Washing helps achieve the desired purity level for the final recycled product. After washing, the plastic is ready for further processing, such as shredding or grinding, to continue its journey towards becoming a recycled plastic product.
The washing process can be costly and requires dedicated washing equipment, a drying step, and wastewater treatment. Researchers are exploring various dry-cleaning approaches to address the challenges associated with conventional wet cleaning methods. These dry-cleaning methods include mechanical cleaning with compressed air, rotor disks, scrapping, or fluidized sand beds.
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Drop-off points for plastic recycling
There are several drop-off points for plastic recycling in New Zealand. Many organisations and companies have set up drop-off points to facilitate the recycling of plastics.
EcoMatters Environment Trust
EcoMatters Environment Trust is a drop-off point for the Caps and Lids Recycling Scheme. It accepts clean and dry plastic screw caps, container lids, and jar lids, among other types of caps and lids. They also accept a wide range of shaving equipment, including disposable blades and razors, as well as rigid and flexible plastic packaging, as part of the Terracycle Gillette Razor Recycling Programme. EcoMatters is also an official collection point for the ecostore Plastic Return Programme and accepts all empty ecostore containers for recycling. They also accept certain household appliances and electronic goods, such as old phones, for recycling.
Reclaim
Reclaim offers a public drop-off point in Penrose, Auckland, where members of the public can unload readily recyclable materials. This drop-off point follows source separation principles, where waste is separated by material type to maintain material integrity and minimise contamination. Polystyrene and plastic foams, however, are not accepted.
Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme
The Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme provides drop-off bins at supermarkets and other stores, such as Woolworths, The Warehouse, New World, and Pak'nSave stores. These bins are typically green and white, and they accept clean, empty, and dry soft plastic packaging, such as plastic bags, grocery bags, and bubble wrap.
Brother
Brother, a hardware and consumables company, has recycling drop-off points located nationwide in New Zealand.
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The recycling process
Once collected, the plastic waste undergoes manual sorting to separate the recyclable materials further. This step ensures that only acceptable materials are processed, and it contributes to maintaining the quality of the recycled output. After sorting, the plastic containers are transported to recycling plants, such as the one located in Christchurch, where they are prepared for repurposing.
At the recycling plant, the Number 5 Polypropylene (PP) plastic undergoes a transformation. The containers are ground up and melted down, turning them into raw material pellets. This process gives the plastic a new lease of life, allowing it to be reused and remanufactured into various products.
These raw material pellets are then sold to other plastic manufacturers, who incorporate them into their production processes. The recycled plastic can be used to create building materials, gardening supplies, clothing, and packaging. This circular economy approach helps reduce the reliance on raw materials and promotes the conservation of New Zealand's natural environment.
It is important to note that the recycling process is continuously evolving, with new collection points and processing partners being added. This adaptability ensures that more plastic waste can be effectively recycled, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for New Zealand.
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The Circular Economy in New Zealand
New Zealand is known for its beautiful natural environment, which its people want to conserve for future generations. To support this goal, the country is embracing the concept of a circular economy, which aligns with the indigenous concept of Kaitiakitanga – conserving the land and resources for the future.
At the recycling plant, the plastic undergoes a transformation. It is ground up, melted, and remanufactured into raw material pellets. These pellets are then sold to manufacturers who use them to create a range of new products. This process reduces the need for raw materials, conserves resources, and supports the development of a more sustainable economy. The demand for recycled material from New Zealand manufacturers is currently outstripping supply, indicating a positive shift towards a circular economy.
The soft plastics recycling programme is another initiative contributing to the circular economy in New Zealand. Soft plastics, such as grocery bags, bread bags, and plastic wrappers, can be recycled at participating supermarkets or stores. These collected soft plastics are then baled and transported to processing partners, who recycle them into new products. New collection points and logistics solutions are continuously being explored to expand the programme's reach while minimising its environmental footprint.
Overall, the circular economy in New Zealand is gaining traction, with a focus on plastic recycling. Through initiatives like the Number 5 PP plastic recycling and the soft plastics recycling programme, New Zealanders are actively contributing to a more sustainable future, conserving their natural environment, and embracing the concept of Kaitiakitanga.
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Soft plastics recycling
The scheme encourages brands to use the "soft plastic recycle at store" logo on their packaging, making it easier for consumers to identify what can be recycled. Soft plastics that can be recycled include any clean, empty, and dry material that can be scrunched into a ball. This can then be processed into new products, such as fence posts, buckets, and matting, by local companies like Future Post and 2nd Life Plastics.
The Packaging Forum works closely with producers and members to increase demand for recycled products, supporting the growth of New Zealand's circular economy. By becoming members of the forum and the Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme, businesses can take responsibility for their soft plastic packaging and make recycling more accessible for their customers, staff, and consumers.
To participate in soft plastics recycling, New Zealanders can look for the "Love NZ" Soft Plastics Recycling bins at supermarkets and other locations. The collected bags are then picked up by The Packaging Forum for processing. This programme ensures that soft plastics are given a new lease of life, contributing to a more sustainable future for the country.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, plastic wrappers of products such as biscuits, chips, and anything with a soft plastic sheath can be recycled. Number 5 PP plastic containers, such as pasta sauce tubs, oyster tubs, medicine bottles, ice-cream tubs, and yoghurt tubs, can also be recycled.
Ensure that your plastic waste is empty, clean, and dry. Check for the Number 5 PP plastic logo and wash out your containers. Any dirty or contaminated items are unlikely to be recycled and will probably go straight to landfill.
You can drop off your plastic waste at your nearest participating supermarket or store, which you can find using the Store Locator on the recycling programme's website.
The plastic waste is collected from stores, baled, and transported to a recycling plant. At the plant, the plastic is checked, sorted by hand, ground up, melted, and remanufactured into raw material pellets. These pellets are then sold to other plastic manufacturers to create new products.
New Zealand has a beautiful natural environment that needs to be conserved for future generations. By recycling plastic, we can reduce our use of raw materials and resources, support the growing Kiwi Circular Economy, and help to protect our land and resources for the future.
