Where Does the Plastic You Recycle End Up?

Where Does the Plastic You Recycle End Up?

Plastic is one of the most widely used materials across the globe as it has many uses. However, due to its high usage, many forms of plastic such as bottles, packets and stationery are thrown into landfill. Sending plastic waste to landfill is bad for the environment, as plastic is non-biodegradable, meaning it slowly releases carbon dioxide and will stay within those landfill sites for over 400 years before it decomposes. The only way to avoid this is to recycle your plastic waste.

The Plastic Recycling Process

Recycling plastic has five main stages:

Collection

After you have filled your plastic recycling bin, services such as Global Office Supplies will collect your waste for you, free of charge. Global Office Supplies will even collect your waste in one of our low CO₂ emissions vehicles, where it will be transferred to our recycling plant.

Arrange a free collection today!

Sorting

Once your waste plastic reaches the recycling plant, it will be sorted into groups according to its type. Sorting is either carried out manually or with machines using technology that can recognise the different types of plastic.

Breaking Down Plastic

With the plastic divided into types, it is then ready to be broken down and cut into small pieces. Plastic bottles and containers, for example, are ground and cut into tiny pieces ready for cleaning.

Cleaning

After the plastic has been broken down, the pieces are washed with detergents to remove any contamination. Once this process is complete, the pieces are sent through specialised equipment that further separates the plastic.

Compounding

The final stage of the process is compounding, transforming the plastic into a reusable substance. Machines are typically used for this process where the plastic is melted down and moulded into pellets. Once cooled the pellets can be used in manufacturing for many different new products.

Will You Recycle?

With plastic having many negative effects on the environment when sent to landfill, and the recycling process being easy for businesses, why wouldn’t you recycle?

Get in touch to find out more

^{Sources: plasgranltd.co.uk, conserveenergyfuture.com}