WHAT IS PLASTIC RECYCLING?

‘Recycling’ means any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling operations.

Article 3(17), Waste Framework Directive

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Plastic recycling is an important piece of the puzzle in solving the issue of waste management. Being among the best alternative feedstocks to virgin plastics, the use of recyclates reduces Europe’s dependency on natural resources while decreasing CO2 emissions by up to 90%.

Recycling started off as in-house waste reprocessing in the 80s to treat offcuts and reworks. Since then, decades’ worth of research has enabled the industry to close the loop – using recyclates to produce original product applications. With that, the recyclers have enabled the true essence of circular economy – keeping the resources in the loop and promoting carbon neutrality

To be fully effective in improving the current plastic waste management recycling must be paired with other solutions to ensure the most sustainable use of natural resources and their end-of-life phase.