Plastics : Plastic Recycling Challenges

Mixed Materials Problem:

Mixed plastics:

- Its like to unmix a smoothie back into seperate fruits
- One can't easily seperate different plastics once mixed

Common issues:

- Different plastic types in one product
- Layers of different materials
- Attached labels and adhesives

Contamination Issues:

- Having left overs in containers
- Dirt and debris in recycling bins
- Wrong items in recycling

Problems caused:

- Reduces the quality of recycled plastic
- Makes processing harder
- Can damage recycling equipment

Sorting Challenges:

- Its like sorting a huge pile of mixed lego pieces
- separating plastics by type
- Separating plastics by color
- Finding specific types of plastics in huge mixed piles

Difficulties:

- Many different plastic types
- Plastic that look alike but that are chemically different
- Need special equipment to identify different types of plastics

Quality Loss:

Think of it as:

- Quality of plastic diminishes
- It's like making a photocopy of a photocopy
- Each time quality gets worse
- Can't use recycling forever

Issues:

- Weaker material properties in recycled plastic
- Color changes in recycled plastic
- recycled plastic is less durable

Collection Problems:

- Gather different pieces scattered everywhere
- To get everyone to follow recycling rules
- Organize massive cleanups

Challenges:

- Different collection systems
- People putting wrong things in bins
- Transportation costs 

Cost Issues:

Similar to:

- Sometimes costs more to fix that to buy new
- Expensive equipment needed
- High labor costs

Problems:

- New plastic is ofter cheaper
- Processing costs are high
- Transportation is expensive

Design Issues:

- Trying to take apart something that is not meant to become apart
- Seperate glued paperss
- Unmix colored paints

Common problems:

- Products not designed for recycling
- Hard to seperate material
- Complex combinations

Market Challenges:

Think about:

- People prefering new over recycled
- Finding buyers for recycled material
- Competing with cheaper options

Issues:

- Quality concers
- Price competition
- Limited applications

Solutions Being Worked On:

Better Design:

- Making products easier to recycle
- Using simple meterials
- Easy to seperate parts

Improved Sorting:

- Better technology
- Automated systems
- Better identification

Better Processing:

- New recycling methods
- Chemical recycling
- Better cleaning

Education:

- Teaching proper recycling
- Clear instruction
- Better labeling

What Helps:

Consumers Can:

- Clean items before recycling
- Sort correctly
- Learn what's recyclable

Companies Can:

- Design for recycling
- Use recyclable material
- Support recycling programs

 Government Can:

- Improve the collection system
- Set standards
- Support recycling industry

Remember:

- Not all plastic can be recycled
- Different areas have different rules
- Clean materials recycle better
- Check local guidelines

Future Improvements:

- New technologies coming
- Better sorting methods
- More recyclable designs
- Chemical recycling advances

Simple Tips:

- Check the recycling number (1 to 7) - explained below
- Clean containers
- Remove labels when possible
- Keep different plastic seperate
- Follow local guidelines

Recycling numbers:

To Check the recycling number look for number inside triangle (range from 1-7) usually on bottom of container:

• (PET)       : Polyethylene terephthalate (Soda bottles)
• (HDPE)   : High Hensity Polyethylene (Milk jugs)
• (PVC)       : Polyvinyl Chloride (Pipes)
• (LDPE)    : Low Density Polyethylene (Plastic bags)
• (PP)          : Polypropylene (Food containers)
• (PS)          : Polystyrene (Foam cups)
• (Other)    : Mixed plastics