Table of Contents
Plastic is now the foundation of modern convenience from packaging for food, and home goods to industrial equipment. Since the 1950s, some nine.2 billion tonnes of plastic had been made globally. As of 2019, however, an insignificant 9% of that plastic were recycled, and the rest is but to pile up on landfills, in oceans, and in the natural world.
With growing environmental awareness and new technology, there’s a renewed attention on enhancing the plastic recycling process. In this weblog, we’ll discover why plastic recycling is critical, smash down the system step-by means of-step, speak the exclusive varieties of plastics, and highlight how enterprise pioneers like Banyan Nation are making impactful changes.
Why is Plastic Recycling Important?
Plastic waste is not only unattractive; it is also a large threat to ecosystems, natural international, public health, and economies. We have found microplastics in our oceans, environment, and even in the meals we consume, with industries such as tourism and fishing facing predicted monetary losses of $2.5 trillion each yr.
Plastic recycling also works against such harmful effects by not allowing waste to find its way into the environment, saving resources, and making a circular economy possible, a cycle that focuses on reuse and minimisation of waste.
- Despite this, plastic recycling is full of numerous problems:
- There is little public education, and hence incorrect behavior in disposal.
- Product structures are intricate, and a number of materials are mixed, complicating separation.
- Food, chemicals, and adhesives can contaminate recyclables and destroy batches.
- Not all plastic is recyclable in regular plants, particularly combined or harmful plastic such as PVC and polystyrene.
- In spite of these failures, innovation and increased government, corporate, and public participation are improving the situation.
The Six-Step Plastic Recycling Process
Recycling plants nowadays have a method to recycle waste plastic into re-useable items. Let us proceed step by step in plastic recycling process:
1️. Collection and Distribution
Government institutions, private firms, and recycling networks gather plastic rubbish from homes, organisations, schools, and industries. Through this action, plastics that can be collected are gathered and driven to processing plants.
2. Sorting and Categorising
Plastics are sorted according to the type of resin, color, thickness, and purpose of use. Manual or automatic sorting with the use of infrared scanners and conveyor belts is utilised to enhance efficiency.
3️. Washing
Plastics are also cleaned before further processing by removing labels, food residues, adhesives, and other impurities. This is very crucial not to bring impurities to the final product.
4️. Shredding
Shredded plastics are shredded into flake or chunk. They can be used directly for production or further processed. Shredding also eliminates and determines potential remaining impurities like metals.
5️. Identification and Separation
- Plastics of varying kinds are sorted and separated based on attributes such as thickness and weight.
- Water flotation is used for separation based on weight — lighter plastics float and heavier ones sink.
- Air classification uses wind tunnels for separating plastics based on thickness — lighter pieces are blown by the wind current, and heavier pieces drop down.
6️. Extruding and Compounding
The very last degree entails melting the plastic shreds and reforming them into pellets referred to as nurdles. These are the uncooked cloth for manufacturing new plastic products, completing the recycling loop.
Types of Plastics and Their Recyclability
To better understand the plastic recycling way, it’s useful to understand the seven fundamental classes of plastics. These are marked through numbered symbols you’ll regularly find on bottles, packing containers, and packaging.
- PETE (1) – Generally found in food and beverage containers and bottles. Extremely recyclable.
- HDPE (2) – Used in heavy-duty containers, caps, and detergent bottles. Extremely recyclable.
- PVC (3) – In pipes, furniture, and flooring. Difficult and not very widely recycled.
- LDPE (4) – Used in plastic packaging, wraps, and bags. Recyclable but not necessarily always around.
- PP (5) – In bottle tops, medical equipment, and toys. Less commonly recycled.
- PS (6) – Also known as Styrofoam; not often recycled because it is costly to process.
- Other (7) – Includes new polymers, bioplastics, and multi-material plastics. Not usually recyclable in typical plants.
By identifying these types, corporations and consumers could make educated plastic shopping and disposing choices.
The Role of Technology and Awareness in Increasing Recycling Rates
Though the generation of recycling plastics has come an extended manner, it nevertheless depends closely on public attention, company involvement, and technological advancements. Proper education campaigns, stringent policies on waste management, and incentives for recycling applications are had to create an effective, scalable device.
Moreover, companies such as RTS are spearheading initiatives through webinars and best practices guidelines in sustainable waste management and compostable plastics. Public and business collaborations coming together must drive recycling volumes and minimise environmental degradation.
Banyan Nation’s Impact in India’s Recycling Industry
Banyan Nation, India’s leading plastic recycling process firm, is a shining example of the potential that can be realised when business, sustainability, and technology come together. As the plastics circular economy champion of the country, Banyan Nation has revolutionised the art of plastic recycling through its manufacturing of human touch safe, traceable rPE (recycled polyethene) and rPP (recycled polypropylene) resins with high technical performance, colour, and odour specifications.
Banyan Nation collaborates with leading international FMCG companies to enable them to make the shift from virgin plastic to circular, recycled material and assist companies in achieving their sustainability ambitions and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates. Their bottle-to-bottle recycling model allows plastic packaging to be recycled into new, secure, high-quality products, and the cycle is closed, keeping plastic litter out of nature.
Through leadership by innovation and integrity, Banyan Nation is setting an influential model for companies to be economically viable and have positive environmental footprint.
Read more on KulFiy