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INTRODUCTION
Globally there has been a push for a greener, more
environmentally friendly atmosphere and one method of
accomplishing this goal is plastic recycling

The purpose of group threes study was to analyze the practice

of plastic recycling by
outlining the plastic recycling process
listing the types of plastics that are or are not recyclable
Comparing different countries plastic recycling regulations
Analyzing the costs and benefits to society form recycling
plastic

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PLASTIC RECYCLING
There are 7 different types of plastic
-PET or PETE commonly seen in water bottles and is
frequently recycled
-HDPE commonly seen as milk cartons and is again
frequently recycled
-PVC commonly seen as liquid laundry detergents and is less
commonly accepted by local recycling agents
-LDPE commonly seen used in trash bags
-PP commonly used in automobiles such as car battery
casings
- PS Commonly seen in some packing foam
-O meaning other this is combination of the previously
listed plastics

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THE STAGES OF RECYCLING PLASTIC
1) The plastic has to be delivered to the recycling plant
2) Then the plastic has to be sorted accordingly because
recycling mixed plastic will create a poor quality product
3) Next begins the cleaning process. This is used to remove
labels and other impurities
4) Next is the shredding process
5) Then the shredding's are bagged and label to its exact
specifications
6) Finally the plastic is melted into the form of pellets and
used to manufacture plastic products

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PLASTIC RECYCLING IN THE UNITED
STATES
0.8 tons of waste per person per year

34% of plastic consumption is currently being recycled

There is no federal plastic recycling law. Plastic recycling is

implemented locally, state by state

Plastic recycling is regulated by the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA)

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EUROPEAN UNION
6 tones of plastic waste generated per person per year
Waste Framework Directive first passed in 1991
2006 Directive put recycling on the table
2006 goal is to recycle 50% of all solid waste by 2020
The European Unions legislation on plastic recycling was
adopted by the United Kingdom upon its introduction to the
EU and is expected to surpass the United States in total
plastic recycling by 2020

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CHINAS PLASTIC IMPORTERS
Millions of tons of plastic have entered Chinas ports since
the start of 2008
Developed countries have been the biggest exporters of
their plastics

Why does China need plastic waste?

Advantages to transporting the waste across oceans

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DISADVANTAGES TO PLASTIC WASTE
TRADE
United Kingdom
Loss of plastic recycling industry
Open Loop of plastics
Increased pollution and port traffic
China
- Contamination of plastics
- Difficult to track movement and destination

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EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS ON PLASTIC
IMPORTING BY THE GOVERNMENT
Prohibits borrowing or renting of solid waste import

) Prohibits reselling of imported waste and it must be used by

importing company

) Must conduct the clearance through local customs

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BENEFITS OF PLASTIC RECYCLING
Reduction in waste
Plastics are very durable and its toughness is very useful and can
be reshaped for other uses
For example plastic bottles can be turned into plastic straws
Also due to plastics durability it takes at least a century for
plastic to break down in landfills or in water
Therefore throwing away plastic after one use is very wasteful
Additionally plastic recycling reduces oil consumption
Plastic production is mainly used crude oil or natural gas
One average to produce a standard 16 ounce water bottle one
fourth of the water bottle could be filled by the amount oil it
takes to produce
From Stanford University recycling center one ton of recycled
plastic saves 16.3 barrels of oil

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BENEFITS OF RECYCLING CONTINUED
Creation of Durable Products
Recycling of plastics can provide an environmentally friendly source
of material for producing new products.
For example, plastic bottles can be recycled to create new
products such as, park benches, plastic piping, carpeting, filler
material for clothing or bedding, playground equipment, toys,
packaging material, grocery bags, or toothbrushes
Another product that can be created by plastic recycling is plastic
lumber.
Plastic lumber is a 100% recyclable material made from recycled
plastic in the form of lumber.
This is mostly used for outdoor decking, playgrounds, and park
benches.

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COSTS OF PLASTIC RECYCLING
High Costs of Plastic Recycling
it costs $28 per ton to landfill waste compared with $147 a ton to
recycle (Black 2006).
For every ton of glass, plastic and metal that the truck delivers to a
private recycler, the city currently spends $200 more than it would
spend to bury the material in a landfill.
The costs of recycling outweigh the costs of its counterpart, landfills
Selling recyclable goods brings in $2.45 million. However, the cost of
collecting and sorting these recycled materials plus interest payments
on the recycling facility costs the county over $3 million (Black 1006).
According to the Seattle Times, each ton recycled would cost the city
$2,600 but save Seattle $600 in financial and environmental costs.

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COSTS OF PLASTIC RECYCLING
Creation of new waste
Water waste, gas waste, and solid waste
Water waste is mainly created from the cleaning process that is
required in the recycling of plastics
Gas waste is created during the plastic recycling process because of the
use of high temperatures
The organic gases released due to the heat will generate hydrocarbons,
benzene and other harmful gases.
Solid waste is created in multiple ways
Some coarse plastics contain many papers, soil particles and other
debris that are separated during the recycling process
Sludge from the cleaning stage is also a main contributor to the solid
waste
As well as non-recyclable plastics that are brought to the recycling plant

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QUESTIONS ON PLASTIC
RECYCLING?

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