Eli5 why are so few plastics recyclable? Why cant you just melt it down and reuse it like glass?
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I’m not an expert so I can’t give a proper answer, but I’ll share what I know in case someone can fill in more (and teach me something):
A plastic object isn’t a uniform substance. A part made of, say, polyethylene will contain other chemicals. It might contain talc or other substances to make it stronger, or additives to absorb UV light. Each chemical added serves a purpose for that specific part. While it is easy to regrind waste from the production process back into that same part, it isn’t pure polyethylene (or whatever plastic) so it can’t be readily used in other parts if they need different properties.
If working with unknown plastics costs more than new plastic, then the manufacturer won’t buy recycled plastic.
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