Plastic recycling, especially chemical and physical recycling, is a critical part of the carbon management strategy and environmental impact reduction of the plastics industry.
The RCI Position Paper on Chemical and Physical Recycling proposes strategies to promote more effective plastic recycling, contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection, emphasizing the role of recycling in reducing the carbon footprint of the plastics industry and promoting sustainable development.
Chemical Recycling
This process involves breaking down plastic polymers into their monomers or basic chemical compounds for reuse in new plastic production. Chemical recycling can handle types of plastic that are difficult to recycle mechanically and reduces the amount of plastic going to landfills.
Physical Recycling
Also known as mechanical recycling, involves cleaning, grinding, and remelting plastic products to create new ones. Physical recycling is the most common method today and helps reduce the demand for new plastic raw materials.
Carbon Emissions Reduction
Recycling and Carbon: Recycling plastic helps reduce CO2 emissions compared to producing new plastic from virgin petroleum-based materials. Both chemical and physical recycling processes contribute to reducing the amount of carbon released into the environment because they utilize used plastic products instead of extracting and processing new raw materials.
Chemical recycling is generally considered to be a more energy-intensive process than physical recycling. However, chemical recycling can recycle a wider variety of plastics, including those that are contaminated or difficult to recycle mechanically. Physical recycling is a more mature technology and is currently more widely used than chemical recycling. As chemical recycling technology continues to develop, it is expected to become more cost-effective and widely adopted.
