With the increase in awareness of the environmental impacts of plastic pollution, there is a surge in the use of recycled plastics. These plastics are used extensively to produce various commercial and industrial products. As the name suggests, these plastics are processed and reprocessed to create new products. They help reduce plastic waste and extend the lifespan of plastic products. This is why recycled plastic is becoming a top choice for manufacturers of plastic products today. Having said that, you may have several questions in mind regarding the type of recycled plastic. If you are thinking the same, this post will introduce you to some common types of plastics that are recyclable.
Types of Plastics That Can Be Recycled
Depending on the market demand, there are various types of plastics that can be recycled. Listed below are a few of them.
PET:This stands for Polyethylene Terephthalate and is one of the most recycled plastics in the world. Most beverage bottles, food jars, carpet fibers, mouthwash, and shampoo bottles are made from PET. According to statistics, 7.5 million tons of PET were collected worldwide in 2011 and were recycled to create fashion items, such as backpacks, carpets, and clothes. Also, PET bottles can be easily recycled into PET bottles.
HDPE:This is High-Density Polyethylene and one of the most easily recycled plastic polymers. The main post-consumer recycled natural HDPE items are film packaging and bottles for non-food applications, including detergent, motor oil, household cleansers, etc. HDPE is recycled into plastic lumber, tables, curbs for the side of the road, benches, and other long-lasting plastic goods. In short, HDPE is recycled into non-food applications.
LDPE:This stands for Low-density polyethylene and is used to manufacture single-use plastic bags used by supermarkets and smaller businesses to package the products. Due to LDPE’s low cost and poor quality, recycling is not profitable. However, still many recycling centers would accept them and recycled LDPE is used for making packaging films and bin liners.
PP:PP or Polypropylene is used for making bottle tops, drinking straws, lunch boxes, insulated coolers, and so on. However, if they are misused or not disposed of properly, they can be toxic to the environment. It is true for many other types of plastic as well. Unfortunately, most home recycling bins and neighborhood recycling facilities are not set up to recycle polypropylene (PP), which can take 20 to 30 years to degrade fully when disposed of in landfills. Therefore, customers must look for businesses that handle polypropylene recycling.
While recycling rates have increased over the years, there is still a long way to go before recycled plastic reaches the same levels of material reuse as glass and aluminum. Nowadays, many manufacturers are using recycled plastic for manufacturing non-food use products. If you are one of them, ensure to source recycled plastic from experienced suppliers like Mid Continent Plastics. The company has served the compounding, extrusion, and injection molding communities for several years. They offer one of the largest collections of recycled plastic for manufacturing. Contact the experts at the company to discuss your requirements today.
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