Recycle

Recycling a plastic bottle

The plastics industry fully supports recycling of many of its products.

Although it is a common perception that plastics are neither recycled nor re-used, there are long-established and highly successful plastic recycling schemes in place. For example, industry already recycles more than 500,000 tonnes of plastic packaging including about 150,000 tonnes of household plastic bottles. This is recycled into a number of products, such as damp proof membranes, dustbin bags and long-life, durable products such as litter bins and now even fashion clothing. And new EU legislation makes it possible to bring used food and drinks bottles back into food contact packaging applications.

Advances in recycling technologies are giving us the options of mechanical recycling or chemical/feedstock recycling for plastics packaging.

Mechanical recycling is straightforward and very well-established for single polymers and enables us to return waste material into high added-value products. Bottle recycling is a prime example.

But mechanical recycling is technically and economically difficult with mixed plastics packaging which may carry residues of the products they contain. Think or our ready meals we enjoy every day.

Mechanical recycling is straightforward and very well-established for single polymers and enables us to return waste material into high added-value products. Bottle recycling is a prime example

For mixed plastic waste, trials partly funded by WRAP are currently taking place in the UK to determine whether recent advances in plastics sorting technology make it technically, economically and environmentally feasible to mechanically recycle non-bottle mixed plastics household packaging – food trays, yoghurt pots, margarine and ice cream tubs – into useful, high-value, second life products.

Another option is to use established processes to manufacture lower value, wood substitutes which are weather-proof and hard-wearing. The technology has existed for some time but the economics have to be right and the demand for applications such as leisure and conservation areas in woodland, wetland and coastal areas has to be high.

There are now other increasingly important recycling options. An Austrian steel plant is currently chemically recycling plastics for use in its production processes. And oil refineries are developing viable feedstock recycling processes which take plastic back into oil, for example for lubrication or into naphtha or other chemical intermediaries.

Site Sponsors

Plastics Europe

PlasticsEurope is one of the leading European trade associations with offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris.

We are networking with European and national plastics associations and have more than 100 member companies, producing over 90% of all polymers across the 27 EU member states plus Norway, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey.

For further information, visit http://www.plasticseurope.org

British Plastics Federation

The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the leading trade association for the UK Plastics Industry, with over 400 members and 1200 affiliated members.

Encompassing the whole plastics supply chain including raw material suppliers, processors, machinery suppliers and recyclers. BPF membership covers over 75% of the plastics industry by turnover.

For further information, visit http://www.bpf.co.uk

Packaging and Films Association

PAFA (the Packaging and Films Association) combines the former PIFA and FPA. It represents the £2 billion UK industry for the development and manufacture of films and the conversion of lightweight flexible packaging and rigid sheet.

PAFA’s core role supports around 80% of the highly innovative flexibles industry in the UK and also provides strong European links and influence.

For further information, visit http://www.pafa.org.uk