What is the difference between plastic than can be recycled vs plastic that cannot?
In: Chemistry
It’s largely about how well it can handle the cleaning and reprocessing steps. To recycle plastic, you need to clean it well, and then melt it down and reform it into pellets which can then be turned into new plastic items. Many plastics when exposed to the heat and chemicals required for those steps will degrade and not be useful for new products.
Anything can be recycled if you spend enough money. The problem is
1. You have to sell the product you create when you recycle it; plastic is cheap. You need to sell it for a profit
2. As long as there is demand for cheap fossil fuels; the input materials for it are a byproduct of refining fuel which makes virgin plastic very cheap. Recycled plastic must compete with it. If it costs more to recycle the plastic, you might as well throw it away
3. Plastic ends up a lower grade of less recyclable plastic every time it’s recycled. All recycled plastic, just like paper must have virgin material put introduced into it so it can have certain properties. For plastic, it’s there to increase strength and durability. Virgin material is also going to be the same consistency, the same cannot be said about recycled plastic, especially since most recyclers in America mix all types of plastic together.
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