The first step was to place your plastic products in the recycling bin. Did you ever wonder what happens to all of your recycling efforts? What happens to the coke bottles you recycle yesterday?
It is a complicated and lengthy process. It requires a lot of sorting, cleaning and melting before it can ever be reused. Let's get started. The majority of recycling centers employ a single stream recycling method. All recyclable goods, including metal, plastic, and paper, are collected at once. First, these different types of recyclable goods need to be sorted.
Plastics cannot be recycled like metal, paper, or glass. Instead, they must be sorted by type (e.g., PP, ABS, PET, etc). Because of their different melting points and properties, some plastic types are not compatible with one another. The result of mixing two types of plastic is weak in structure, and can solidify in layers (like oil or water). Mixed plastic types can't be used efficiently for product manufacturing.
Most recycling centers accept only two types of plastic products: type 1 PET plastic and type 2. Plastic numbers are typically found at the bottom of most plastic products. This number is located inside the recycle symbol (three circular arrows). Do your research before you send any plastic to the recycling facility. You could end up sending a recycling center something that they don't handle.
We now have the plastic separated by type. Depending on where it is being recycled, it might be further divided by color. The most desired plastic type is clear, natural, or white plastic. This plastic can be dyed to make other colors. If you have green plastics in your lot, it can't be made to become blue. A mixed-colored lot is usually dyed to make black plastic products.
Because sorting is labour-intensive, plastic is often packaged and shipped to Asia for processing. To remove any sodas or juice, the plastic should be washed. Let's now see how to clean a common coke bottle. The PET or PETE coke bottle is made of PET, but the label and cap are made from PE or PP. Both PP and PE have densities below 1 and will float in the water. PET will sink if it is placed in water. The bottle shreds can be placed in water to dissolve the plastic. The PET layer at the bottom will be removed and moved onto the next step.
Water can partially clean the plastic. However, it should be cleaned with a corrosive solvent to remove glues and chemicals. Now we have a sortable and cleaned batch, which is placed in large dryers to remove any moisture. The flakes can then be sold or moved to another location to be made into plastic pellets, or nurdles (as shown above).
Plastic Recycling Machine pellets are used as raw materials for product manufacturing. Recycled plastics are not as flexible or "good" after they have been reused. Most recycled plastics can be "downcycled" to make other products. This means that old milk bottles are not used to make new ones. Instead, they are used to create a different product, such as toys.
Recycled plastic is often sold to manufacturers who mix recycled material with virgin material to create products. They can make sure the final product is high quality and save money while also protecting the environment.