I was a supervisor at a moulding injection facility in Calgary for 2.5 years ( plastic product manufacturing ). I can tell you with certainly, 95-98% of all plastic products can be 'reground' and used for other plastic products.
The problem is they're just not doing it.
For example : Poly Carbonate is used for glass like products ( safety glasses ). Poly carbonate couldn't be reground for a new poly carbonate product that was clear, but can 100% be reground and used as the base material for a poly carbonate product that is coloured. Microwaveable dishes and plates are usually poly carbonate for example
Poly styrene ( coat hangers ) and ABS ( your PC mouse + keyboard ) are the most common plastic products and can 100% be ground down and a percentage used for new products of similar base plastic.
We routinely would use 40% regrind for coat hangers
Meaning, it can't be done and produce a product that is cheaper than one that is made from virgin material.
Not everything is about 'greedy' capitalists.
No different that 99% of 'green' energy.
It is so much more expensive than conventional petroleum based fuels that it just doesn't make economic sense unless govt is throwing tons of money at it.
I live about 4 blocks from all the recycling centers in my County. The plastics recycling center has a big compactor inside a cheap aluminum building. All they do is compress the plastic and make bales. They keep building more additions to the building to house the increasing plastic. They do not recycle.
Add in that adhesive stickers need to be removed, the item then cleaned, separated from caps and lids likely made of a different plastic, then separated by color and ground. Then distributed from the processing plant to the injection molding facility for reuse.
It is a very labor and cost intensive process.
I’ve worked injection molding at numerous companies…we would use internal regrind and from our supplier, but it was well controlled to keep new product quality acceptable.
I solved the plastic pollution problem when I was a child in school but the school didn't notify the government of my brilliant idea. Maybe Elon will be interested. Basically, you get it into space (then either load it on a giant space barge, or my fave: tie it all together and give it a push) and then you send it strait into the sun. Problem solved.
Indeed. This is the reason I stopped recycling. It's a giant scam.
I was a supervisor at a moulding injection facility in Calgary for 2.5 years ( plastic product manufacturing ). I can tell you with certainly, 95-98% of all plastic products can be 'reground' and used for other plastic products.
The problem is they're just not doing it.
For example : Poly Carbonate is used for glass like products ( safety glasses ). Poly carbonate couldn't be reground for a new poly carbonate product that was clear, but can 100% be reground and used as the base material for a poly carbonate product that is coloured. Microwaveable dishes and plates are usually poly carbonate for example
Poly styrene ( coat hangers ) and ABS ( your PC mouse + keyboard ) are the most common plastic products and can 100% be ground down and a percentage used for new products of similar base plastic.
We routinely would use 40% regrind for coat hangers
The problem is, without heavy subsidies, recycling plastic is just not cost effective.
If you read the article, the author says, yes plastic can be recycled, it just is not cost effective to do so.
And mixing different plastics with the same recycling number will contaminate the mix so the entire batch is unusable.
And just what exactly does cost effective mean? That their investors aren't getting a 20 % return every year?
Meaning, it can't be done and produce a product that is cheaper than one that is made from virgin material.
Not everything is about 'greedy' capitalists.
No different that 99% of 'green' energy.
It is so much more expensive than conventional petroleum based fuels that it just doesn't make economic sense unless govt is throwing tons of money at it.
Encouraging info. Thanks.
I live about 4 blocks from all the recycling centers in my County. The plastics recycling center has a big compactor inside a cheap aluminum building. All they do is compress the plastic and make bales. They keep building more additions to the building to house the increasing plastic. They do not recycle.
Like everything the Left pushes, recycling does more harm than good and just lines the pockets of their political allies.
Only about 5% of "plastic recycling" is actually recycled into anything.
The man hours and energy it takes to do it is just too much to make it worthwhile.
Add in that adhesive stickers need to be removed, the item then cleaned, separated from caps and lids likely made of a different plastic, then separated by color and ground. Then distributed from the processing plant to the injection molding facility for reuse.
It is a very labor and cost intensive process.
I’ve worked injection molding at numerous companies…we would use internal regrind and from our supplier, but it was well controlled to keep new product quality acceptable.
While some people see pollution, I see a huge energy supply for a waste plastic electric power plant.
It's a better option than those stupid wind turbines.
No one in on the global warming grift will ever agree to burning plastic for energy.
Now do paper. Same thing.
I solved the plastic pollution problem when I was a child in school but the school didn't notify the government of my brilliant idea. Maybe Elon will be interested. Basically, you get it into space (then either load it on a giant space barge, or my fave: tie it all together and give it a push) and then you send it strait into the sun. Problem solved.