Page 87 - Plastics News October 2024
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IN THE NEWS
Repurposing PVC Waste into Building Materials
Vinyl’s durability and reusability make it ideal for
recycling. Manufacturers can process it multiple
times without compromising quality, supporting
a closed-loop system that reuses vinyl waste.
This reduces the demand for virgin materials and
lowers energy consumption in manufacturing.
Mechanical Recycling – The Backbone of PVC
Recycling
Mechanical recycling is crucial in recycling PVC
handling rigid and flexible products. Rigid PVC,
used in pipes and siding, differs from flexible
Vinyl building materials have been es-
PVC found in items like wires and hoses. To en-
sential in the construction industry. How-
sure proper recycling, recyclers separate these
ever, their environmental challenges
materials based on their different properties.
have prompted an increasing focus on
They grind or crush the recovered PVC into
recycling efforts to minimize their im-
small particles and sort them using techniques
pact.
like float tanks and infrared detectors to remove
ortunately, innovative recycling initiatives contaminants such as glass or metal. After sort-
enable vinyl waste to be repurposed into ing, they wash the material to remove any impu-
Fdurable, eco-friendly building materials, rities, preparing it for reuse.
reducing landfill impact. These advancements
Once cleaned, recyclers melt the PVC and re-
are transforming vinyl into a more sustainable
integrate it into production streams. Rigid PVC
option for future construction projects by pro-
is typically repurposed for construction materi-
moting circular economy practices in the indus-
als like pipes, while recyclers repurpose flex-
try.
ible PVC into products like footwear and traffic
The Vinyl Recycling Process cones. This process enables recovery facilities
to reuse PVC multiple times without sacrificing
According to the Vinyl Siding Institute, now quality, helping to drive a circular economy in the
known as the Polymeric Exterior Products As- construction industry.
sociation (PEPA), the industry recycles vinyl
Overcoming Challenges with Viability
through three main pathways: post-industrial,
post-consumer, and closed-loop recycling. Post-
Despite vinyl’s recycling potential, challenges
industrial and closed-loop recycling recover un-
remain, especially with post-consumer recy-
used materials from the manufacturing process.
cling, which often involves contaminated materi-
In contrast, post-consumer recycling focuses
als. Contaminants such as adhesives and paints
on reclaiming vinyl products like siding, flooring,
require additional processing steps, raising costs
and pipes at the end of their lifecycle.
and slowing large-scale recycling efforts.
October 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 87
