Page 50 - Plastics News September 2026
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FEATURE NEWS
What is Post-Consumer Plastic Recycling? - Advantages and
Solutions
lastic is one of the most widely used ma- landfills and that typically takes centuries to de-
terials worldwide, found in everything compose (due to the characteristics of different
Pfrom food packaging to car parts. As a plastics). By recycling plastics, materials will be
result, the amount of plastic waste produced is given another life, and we will avoid them ending
enormous, creating an environmental problem. up polluting the environment.
Post-consumer recycled materials, often re-
ferred to as PCR, are reprocessed plastics from Reduction of natural resource use
household or commercial waste. With mechanical recycling, pellets that can be
put back into production lines will be obtained,
Post-consumer plastic products close the loop
by diverting waste from landfills and allowing it thus reducing the use of virgin raw materials.
to be recycled into something else. This reduces the environmental impact pro-
duced when new materials are extracted.
At times it is quites challenging to recycle post-
consumer plastic. There are financial concerns Job creation
(collection, cleaning, sorting, reprocessing, dis- Mechanical recycling involves different stages, in
tribution) as well as physical issues (color and which a large number of jobs are generated; two
grade irregularity, contamination). After the stages generate more jobs, one is the collection
wastes are recycled, the plastic pellets are to of plastics and the other is their sorting. Along
be manufactured into various recycled prod- with mechanical recycling, a positive impact on
ucts according to different physical properties. the economies of countries is obtained.
This is where mechanical recycling has become
a popular solution among plastic producers and Energy savings
recyclers. In the production (extraction) of virgin materials,
large amounts of energy are required, meaning
Post-consumer plastic recycling involves several
steps in its process, including: Sorting, Shred- that by recycling mechanically, companies will
ding, Washing, Drying, Pelletizing reduce their costs for pellets as well as electric-
ity consumption.
Advantages of post-consumer Plastic Recy-
cling Sustainable development
Post-consumer plastic recycling not only brings Mechanical recycling leads us to a circular econ-
advantages to the environment but also to hu- omy, helping to conserve natural resources and
manity. Among the advantages of mechanical care for the environment. This will provide a
recycling, we have: better and more efficient life for plastics, both
waste and virgin materials.
Reduction of waste
It reduces the amount of waste that is sent to
54 PLASTICS NEWS September 2026
