Plastics have become an integral part of our daily lives. From water bottles to food packaging to clothes, plastics are omnipresent in virtually every household. However, with increasing plastic usage, plastic waste has also grown exponentially posing a huge burden on the environment. Recycling plastics helps tackle this waste issue and provides valuable resources to manufacture new products in a sustainable way.
The Growing Problem of Plastic Waste
Plastic is a material that does not degrade easily, sometimes taking hundreds of years to break down. As such, plastic waste keeps accumulating in landfills and the environment. It is estimated that of the billions of plastic bottles and containers that are used every year, less than 30% are recycled. The remaining plastic waste ends up polluting the land and oceans. Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the critical environmental challenges facing the planet today. Some of the concerning impacts of plastic waste include:
- Harm to wildlife: Animals often mistake plastic for food and ingest it. Plastic clogs their digestive systems, leading to starvation and death. Millions of marine animals die due to plastic pollution every year.
- Greenhouse gas emissions: If plastic waste decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.
- Contamination of soil and water bodies: Plastic waste spread across land and water bodies releases toxins into the environment over time, contaminating soil and water sources.
- Blocked sewer and drainage systems: Plastic litter, if not disposed of properly, often blocks sewer lines and drainage systems, leading to waterlogging and flooding.
Clearly, reducing plastic waste through recycling is crucial to protect the environment. Recycling provides a sustainable solution to this growing problem.
Recycling Process and End Uses
Plastic recycling involves collecting plastic waste, sorting and shredding it, cleaning and melting it down, and transforming it into granules that can be used to manufacture new products. The main steps in the recycling process are:
- Collection: Used plastic items like containers, bottles and packaging are collected through curbside bin collection programs and drop-off centers.
- Sorting: Collected plastic waste is sorted by resin type - PET (polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), LDPE (low-density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PS (polystyrene) and others using automated sorting machines.
- Shredding: The sorted plastics are washed, shredded and pulverized into flakes.
- Melting and Processing: The plastic flakes are melted and extruded to form plastic pellets which can be processed like virgin plastic material. Additives may be blended to impart desired properties.
- Manufacturing: The recycled plastic pellets are molded, cast or thermoformed to manufacture an array of products like paint buckets, carpets, fleeces, clothing, drainage pipes etc.
Common end uses of recycled plastics include packaging goods like plastic bottles, bags and containers, fiber and textiles like clothing and rugs, construction materials like pipes and poles and many industrial applications. Recycled plastic is also used to manufacture new plastic products.
Benefits of Plastic Recycling
Recycled Plastics offers significant economic and environmental benefits compared to landfilling or incineration of plastic waste. Some key advantages of plastic recycling include:
Conserves Natural Resources
- Recycled plastics reduce the need for new raw materials like oil and natural gas to produce virgin plastic. This helps preserve natural resources for future generations.
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Manufacturing goods from recycled plastics results in much lower carbon emissions than producing them from virgin plastics obtained from crude oil. This mitigates climate change impacts.
Saves Energy
- Recycling plastic is more energy-efficient than producing plastic from crude oil. It takes 60-80% less energy to make goods from recycled versus virgin plastics.
Lowers Production Costs
- Using recycled resins as a substantial raw material input lowers manufacturing costs for industries like those producing plastic packaging products.
Reduces Waste & Litter
- By diverting plastic waste from landfills through recycling, plastic litter and pollution in the environment is reduced significantly.
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For more details on the report, Read- https://www.rapidwebwire.com/recycled-plastics-growth-market-size-share-analysis/
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