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Learn how the mechanical recycling of plastics is helping make polymers more sustainable within 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.
Plastics are broken down in size. Processes such as grinding, re-granulating and compounding are used.
The plastics are then 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.
Plastic manufacturers can reuse these materials for plastic applications with less performance needs, such as trash bags, rigid plastic containers and building materials.
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.
To create the new technology, the companies will combine their patented technologies and know-how in the dissolution process. The development program will focus on using dissolution technology to recycle a broad range of plastic materials with a focus on polyethylene and targeting post-household plastic waste (especially rigids, flexible and multi-layer packaging, which are harder to recycle).
The technology aims to deliver high quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymer with a lower greenhouse gas emissions footprint than fossil-based polyethylene. P&G anticipates using this PCR polymer in their packaging, thereby enabling a path to circularity which helps maximize resource utility and reduces materials treated as waste.
Dow and Boomera Ambipar, a Brazilian company specializing in the circular economy, will work together on a pilot project in Brazil to expand the collection of domestic and industrial waste that would otherwise go to landfills, ensuring that they are recycled.
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.
A key tool in closing the loop is mechanical recycling.
Learn more about the latest innovations and technologies capturing the value of plastic for a more sustainable world.
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