Emerging recycling technologies that complement mechanical recycling are accelerating as interest in the circular economy grows.
FREMONT, CA: In light of the growing interest in circular economies, emerging recycling technologies are gaining traction complementary to mechanical recycling.
Consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies are shifting from fossil fuels to sustainable products as industries move away from fossil fuels. The pledges cover many plastic products people use or encounter daily, including packaging materials like bottles, caps, meal trays, and flexible film wraps. There is a rapid increase in demand for circular polymers, yet capacity announcements do not keep pace with the increase in demand.
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A potential solution lies in advanced recycling. Mechanical recycling has several structural limitations, such as limited pools of appropriate feedstocks and resulting material properties that impede the end-user market.
Accelerating demand for recycled plastics: Consumer awareness, CPG pledges, and regulations drive the demand for recycled polymers. It is possible to recycle these plastics mechanically or through advanced recycling. A mechanical recycling process involves washing, shredding, and pelletizing plastic waste. In contrast, an advanced recycling process involves a chemical change and a longer route from plastic waste to ready-to-use plastic.
A growing number of global CPG, packaging suppliers, and retailers are committing to at least 15 percent recycled plastic content in their packaging by 2025.
The potential of advanced recycling: Among non-fossil plastics, mechanically recycled materials are the most popular, followed by bio-based or biodegradable materials. Mechanical processes make it possible to recover polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) bottles. These recovered materials can then be used to manufacture recycled beverage containers (bottle-to-bottle recycling). Agricultural films, tubs, and bowls can also be manufactured using these techniques.
Food-grade materials made from recycled plastics are particularly challenging because of contaminants. The advanced recycling process allows chemical feedstocks to be converted back into hydrocarbons and precursors for other processes. Several advanced recycling technologies exist, including pyrolysis, gasification, solvolysis, and microwave. These technologies contribute to expanding the recycling landscape. As circular-economy targets and commitments improve, plastic waste recycling will play an increasingly important role in expanding recyclable plastic types, quantities, and qualities. While rigid polyethylene (PE) and rigid PET resin are mechanically recyclable, advanced-recycling technologies accept a variety of polymers, including mixed polymers with contamination potential.
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