Today, almost every industry, and every application make use of different plastic materials. One of the main reasons being their durability. Another reason for using them on such a large scale is their ability to recycle. You can recycle scrap plastic to form different products. This is why more and more plastic products are being recycled every year. The plastic recycling market is expected to witness a boom in the upcoming years. According to a latest research, the global plastic recycling market is expected to grow from USD 34.80 Billion in 2016 to USD 50.36 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 6.4 %.
Recycling of scrap plastic requires the material to be passed through several stages and processes. Are you interested to know scrap plastic is recycled? Please read the following post.
What are the Different Processes Involved in Plastic Recycling?
When you say plastic recycling, then the following are the two most important and popular processes that are needed to carry out:
- Monomer Recycling Process: The monomer recycling process is used to reverse the polymerization reaction. Thus, the same type of condensed polymer can be recycled to form a new polymer. This process helps overcome several challenges of plastic recycling.
- Heat Compression Process: In several parts of the world, including Japan, and the United States of America, the heat compression process of plastic recycling is being used on a large scale. The best thing about this process is that it you can recycle various types of plastic at once, and that matching forms of plastic are not required.
What are the Various Stages in Recycling Scrap Plastic?
Now that you understand the processes involved in scrap plastic recycling, let us have a look at the different stages of recycling:
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- Categorization: As a first step in the recycling process, the plastic items are separated and categorized properly based on their type and make. Each category of plastic is them processed accordingly.
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- Washing & Cleaning: After separating, the plastic items are washed thoroughly in order to remove adhesives, labels, and other impurities. Thus, the quality of the end product is improved.
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- Shredding: The next stage in plastic recycling after washing is shredding. In this stage, the plastic waste is passed through different shredders with the help of conveyor belts. The waste is then shredded into small pellets by the shredder machine. These pellets can now be recycled into other products.
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- Quality Check & Testing of Plastic: The plastic pellets formed by the shredder machine are then passed through a stringent testing stage. This helps ensure the class and quality of these pellets.
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- Extruding: This is the last stage of the recycling process. In this stage, the shredded plastic is melted extruded into pellets. You can now create a wide range of plastic products from these pellets.
As said, plastic recycling is going to grow and there is no looking back for the industry in the near future. Are you looking to buy recycled scrap plastic? There are a number of scrap plastic recyclers in the USA, whom you can consult regarding your requirements. However, it is good to go with the experienced manufacturers, who understand the process and requirements well. One such expert scrap plastic recyclers in the US is Mid Continent Plastics.