The role of plastic recycling for a sustainable future

Plastic recycling is the process of collecting and processing plastic waste to create new products. This practice minimises waste conserves resources and reduces the environmental impact of plastic pollution. 

There are two ways to do this: mechanical and chemical recycling.

Mechanical recycling involves breaking down plastic waste into smaller pieces without altering the material's chemical structure. Plastics are sorted by type and colour to ensure compatibility with the final recycled product. The sorted plastics are shredded into small pieces for easier processing. 

Contaminants like dirt, labels, and adhesives are removed to improve the quality of the recycled material. The clean plastic pieces are melted and reformed into pellets, which serve as raw materials for manufacturing new products. This method is widely used due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, significantly reducing the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills.

Chemical recycling, on the other hand, breaks down plastics into their fundamental chemical components. This approach allows for the recovery of monomers and other valuable materials, which can then be used to produce high-quality plastics with properties similar to virgin materials. This process enables one to recycle plastics that are difficult to process mechanically. It reduces the dependency on fossil fuels for producing new plastics and creates more pure recycled materials suitable for sensitive applications like food packaging.

Needless to say, plastic recycling has many advantages. In the context of the environment, it reduces landfill waste, conserves natural resources by reducing the demand for materials like petroleum, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic recycling has economic benefits too; it creates jobs in collection, sorting, and processing facilities. Using recycled plastics lowers production costs, particularly as virgin material prices fluctuate.

Plastic recycling services (collection, sorting, and reprocessing) promote a circular economy. The global market for plastic recycling services in 2023 reached USD 28.55-billion, and it is projected to grow to USD 67.94-billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.20%. 

The consumer demand for recycled product, innovations in recycling processes, government policies and incentives, and cost efficiency are the key drivers for the growth of the plastics recycling market.

Despite its benefits, plastic recycling faces several challenges. Impurities in plastic waste can reduce the quality of recycled materials. Advanced recycling methods, particularly chemical recycling, require significant investment. Certain industries still prefer virgin plastics due to quality concerns.