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Materials Ecosystem
Mechanical Plastics Recycling
Learn how the mechanical recycling of plastics is helping make polymers more sustainable within the materials ecosystem.
What is the role of Mechanical Recycling in the materials ecosystem?
Mechanical recycling is the most commonly used process by which plastic waste is turned into new products without the structure of the material being significantly altered. It uses less energy than other forms of recycling, but it does have limitations. For example, highly regulated plastics such as those used in food packaging currently cannot be produced by mechanical recycling at scale due to quality, performance, and safety restrictions.
Dow X Circulus
Dow acquired Circulus, a leading recycler of plastic waste into post-consumer resin (PCR). Dow's expertise in materials science and high-performance resins combined with Circulus' mechanical film recycling capability will allow Dow to enhance its offerings in applications, such as collation shrink packaging, stretch film, liners and select food packaging, to a wider range of applications in the industrial, consumer, and transportation markets.
Dow X SCGC
DOW and SCGC signed a of a first-of-its kind memorandum of understanding (MOU) circularity partnership in the Asia Pacific region to transform 200KTA of plastic waste into circular products by 2030. This partnership intends to accelerate technology development in the value chain to enable recycling through both mechanical recycling (MR) and advanced recycling (AR) and convert a broader range of plastic waste into high-value applications.
Dow X Procter & Gamble
Dow and the Procter & Gamble Company recently announced a joint development agreement (JDA) to create a new recycling technology. The vision is to enable efficient conversion of hard-to-recycle plastic packaging into recycled polyethylene with near-virgin quality and a low greenhouse gas emissions footprint.
Explore other collaborations
Unlocking the value of waste
To transform recyclable plastics that are difficult to recycle, like film plastics from discarded food packaging, mechanical recyclers need detergents and antifoam agents to improve the quality and consistency of post-consumer recycling (PCR) streams. These agents remove surface contaminants such as adhesives and control foaming to enable greater water circularity. Innovative products like EVOWASH™ detergents and antifoams improve the quality of recycled plastic while maximizing the reuse of processed water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plastics are separated
Once plastics are separated for mechanical recycling at a MRF, processes such as grinding, re-granulating, and compounding are used. First, plastics are broken down in size.
Plastics are shredded
Plastics are shredded before being washed in a series of tanks to remove any remaining contaminants. Detergents and antifoam agents can improve the quality and consistency of post-consumer recycling (PCR) streams.
Reusing plastic
Plastic manufacturers can reuse these materials for plastic applications that have limited performance requirements, such as trash bags, rigid plastic containers and building materials.
Mechanical recycling works best with thermoplastics, plastics that can be melted and reshaped without changing their chemical composition. These typically include:
- Polyethylene (PE): found in packaging films, bags, and bottles.
- Polypropylene (PP): used in food containers, bottle caps, and automotive parts.
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): commonly used in beverage bottles and textile fibres.
However, not all plastics are equally recyclable. Contamination, complex multi-layer packaging, and the presence of additives can limit recyclability. That’s why design for recyclability, using fewer materials, avoiding mixed polymers, and selecting recyclable resins, is critical.
Through innovation and collaboration, we’re helping improve the recyclability of packaging from the design stage onward, enabling greater uptake of mechanical recycling across industries.
Mechanical recycling is a key enabler in the shift from a linear “make–use–dispose” model to a circular economy where materials are kept in use for longer. By turning used plastics into feedstock for new products, it reduces waste, conserves resources, and minimises greenhouse gas emissions tied to virgin plastic production.
In a circular materials ecosystem, mechanical recycling:
- Closes the loop by transforming waste into new products.
- Reduces environmental impact by limiting landfill and incineration.
- Supports sustainable design by encouraging mono-material packaging.
- Inspires industry collaboration on infrastructure, education, and policy.
As demand for circular solutions accelerates, mechanical recycling remains a foundational tool, scalable, proven, and ready to deploy today.
While mechanical recycling plays a vital role in circularity, it has inherent limitations:
- Material degradation: Each cycle of mechanical recycling weakens plastic’s structural integrity, limiting how often it can be reused.
- Contamination sensitivity: Mixed or dirty plastics can lower quality or render materials non-recyclable.
- Limited applicability: Complex multi-layer films and heavily contaminated plastics typically cannot be mechanically recycled.
This is where advanced recycling (also known as chemical recycling) complements the system. By breaking plastics down to their molecular building blocks, advanced recycling can process a broader range of materials, including those unsuitable for mechanical recycling, and return them to virgin-quality feedstock.
Together, mechanical and advanced recycling unlock greater material value, reduce dependency on fossil-based feedstocks, and move us closer to a fully circular economy.
Join the ecosystem
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