Picvisa Machine Vision Systems S.L.U

Picvisa Machine Vision Systems S.L.U

Plastic recycling facts and myths

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Courtesy of Picvisa Machine Vision Systems S.L.U

Plastic recycling facts and myths
Did you know that plastic is so called because of its ability to take on different shapes? Its structure is formed by a single molecule (monomer), which is repeated indefinitely forming long chains called polymers. This structure gives it elasticity and flexibility over a range of temperatures, allowing it to be molded and adapted to various shapes. Let’s take a look at some facts about plastic recycling.

Plastic can take the form of bottles, furniture, vehicle bodywork, household appliances, etc. This material, so present in our daily lives, brings us great benefits. However, at the end of its useful life, products made from it not only lose their value, they can become a problem. Yes: it is the most useful and efficient synthetic material, and at the same time, the main source of solid contamination. An overwhelming plastic recycling fact: total degradation of plastic is impossible. Fortunately, it is recyclable, although it is much cheaper and easier to manufacture than to reuse.

According to the OECD, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled worldwide.
Unfortunately, they end up in landfills, incineration plants or, worse, in the environment. To combat this, the recycling infrastructure plays a crucial role. Well-established collection systems, efficient recycling plant facilities with innovative sorting and shredding systems must be complemented by state-of-the-art technology.

Recycling processes are complex. In addition, the efforts to make it happen are subject to the market: demand for products made from recycled plastic, prices, regulations… Many actors are involved in the success of recycling: from the person who designs the product to the person who throws away the garbage, as well as those who collect the waste and those who work in the recycling plants.

It is essential that all our efforts in favor of recycling do not free us from the feeling of guilt when we decide to use and/or buy plastic objects. If we have a choice, let us opt for products made from recycled plastic. Consumers should be aware of how important it is to give a second life to this material. Let’s take a look at some facts about manufacturing, consumption and false myths about plastic recycling:

Did you know that most plastics are made from crude oil? Specifically, 98% of single-use plastics – responsible for 50% of marine pollution – have their genesis in fossil fuels.
Only plastics labeled PLA are made of a thermoplastic polymer (polylactic acid), obtained from the fermentation of vegetables: corn, sugar cane, cassava…

There is a belief that all plastics are recyclable. This is false. Thermoplastics can be re-melted and molded into new products and therefore recycled, whereas thermosets contain polymers that cross-link to form an irreversible chemical bond, which means that no matter how much heat they receive, they cannot be melted, they are not recyclable.

From the beginning of plastic production until 2015, the world produced around 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste, of which only 9% has been recycled and approximately 1% has been recycled more than once.
According to the World Economic Forum, some 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced worldwide each year.

China was already the world’s largest producer of plastic pollution in 2010; with a population of 1.4 billion, it is logical. It is followed in the ranking by the United States, Germany, Brazil and Japan.   

Which country recycles the most plastic? Facts about plastic recycling
According to the latest OECD data, South Korea, Germany and Austria have the highest recycling rates in the world. In the EU, Italy led the way in 2022 with a rate of 54.6%, followed closely by Belgium and Slovakia, according to Eurostat. And in the U.S.? Of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated there in 2021, only 5% to 6% was recycled, or about two million tons.

How many plastic bottles are recycled each year? Every year, around 500 billion plastic bottles are used worldwide. However, only 12% of these bottles are recycled and, on a global scale, 91% are not recycled.
In the United States, where 35 billion empty water bottles are discarded, only 30% of plastic bottles and jugs are recycled. However, 65% of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are recycled there. In Europe, Norway’s PET plastic bottle recycling rate stands out with 97%. It is estimated that the global plastic bottle recycling industry will achieve an annual growth of 5.3% between 2023 and 2031.

How much plastic ends up in the ocean every day? The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) warns: the oceans receive some 13 million tons of plastic every year, the equivalent of dumping one truckload of garbage into the ocean per minute.
According to a 2021 Science Advances study, the Philippines is the leading country in the list of the top 10 contributors to plastic dumping in the oceans, with some 356,371 tons.

To face these problems, it is crucial to resort to the most innovative technologies, such as the ECOPACK optical separator or the ECOFLAKE optical sorting system, both from PICVISA. Because using solutions for the sorting and detection of all types of plastics increases recycling rates, especially in the more efficient processes of mechanical recycling – the most widespread form of recycling – capable of converting plastic waste into raw materials or secondary products without significantly changing their chemical structure.   It should be noted that mechanical recycling is most commonly used to recycle plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which are used for bottles or soft drink containers and are relatively easy to recycle.

A good example is the Ca Na Putxa Environmental Center, located in Ibiza, which annually manages an impressive 90,000 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW).


R&D is the big bet of the plastics recycling industry. Innovations are booming:
Chemical recycling. Capable of converting plastic waste – technically difficult to process or uneconomical to recover – into basic chemical products, chemical recycling encompasses a set of processes (pyrolysis, gasification, hydrocracking, depolymerization) aimed at modifying the chemical structure of plastic waste. Chemical recycling yields monomers or molecules of small molecular mass, ready to form polymers that are used as raw materials from which to produce new recycled plastics and other chemical products.  

Recycling by dissolution. This is a purification process by which the polymer present in a mixed plastic waste is selectively dissolved, allowing it to be separated from the waste and recovered in pure form without changing its chemical nature. There are already several industrial examples of this technology being applied to different polymers – such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), nylon (PA) or polypropylene (PP) – to separate them from mixed and multi-material waste.

Organic recycling. It is defined as the controlled microbiological treatment of biodegradable plastic waste under aerobic (composting) or anaerobic (biogasification) conditions. It applies to specific polymers that can be converted, under the action of microorganisms, into stabilized organic residues, carbon dioxide, methane and water.

All of these innovative processes contribute to solving the global plastic pollution crisis. Now is the time to foster the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, decoupling plastic production from fossil fuel sources, and recovering the value of plastic waste. Very soon, we will address in this blog leading initiatives in the recycling of other materials. Be sure to read us.

 

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