Recycled Materials- Garbage Cans Full of Potential

Thanks to recycling, many used materials get a second chance at life. This resource-saving process is used in many different economic sectors. In the plastics industry, sorting & recycling is a process that is undergoing rapid expansion.

Turning one man's trash into another man's oil (March 2012).
© AFP / Tim Lawrence / Gilles Clarenne

Unlocking the Value of Materials

Recycling can be used to regenerate materials and manufacture different types of products while saving resources.

In 2008, 63% of household packaging in France was recycled.

   • Glass: Comes from intact bottles or broken glass. Intact bottles are sorted and cleaned in sorting centers. They are then directly reusable as beverage containers. Broken glass in bulk is stripped of its impurities and then crushed. The crushed glass is then melted at 1,550°C along with other materials such as sand, sodium, and limestone. The melted materials are used to manufacture new bottles and other items. In 2008, the recycling rate for glass in France reached 79%.   

In 2008, the recycling rate for glass in France reached 79%.

   • Paper and Cardboard: Are compacted into bales at the sorting center and then pulped in a giant mixer to which water is added. The paper fiber pulp is stripped of its impurities and ink. The pulp is then spun, drained, and dried between heated cylinders. After final treatment, large rolls of recycled paper are ready for use. About 40% of the paper used worldwide is recycled.

   • Steel: Most comes from food cans. These are crushed in a press in the sorting center and then converted into large cubes. They are then sent to a steelworks, where they are smelted at 1,550°C in a blast furnace before being integrated into the usual steel manufacturing process. In 2008, France recycled 110% of its steel.

   • Aluminum: Is found in beverage cans, food trays, and aerosol sprays. This packaging is isolated and purified in sorting centers. It is then smelted in high-temperature furnaces and converted into molten metal. This molten metal is used to manufacture aluminum alloy ingots, rolls, and foil which are reintroduced into the industrial circuit. In 2008, the recycling rate for aluminum was 31%.

Workers at the first unpacking plant for packaged biowaste in Strasbourg, France (September 2009).
© AFP / Patrick Hertzo

Plastic Recycling on the Rise

Plastic is sorted, crushed, and washed in sorting centers to produce a high-purity product in the form of powder or granules. A recycled water bottle can be used to make seven smart cards!

A recycled water bottle can be used to make seven smart cards.

The packaging industry accounts for about 63% of end-of-life plastic. This industry provides most of the products that are currently recycled. Almost 40% of all bottles and industrial film are recycled mechanically in Europe.

Plastic recycling is increasing in the construction industry. For example, the recycling rate for pipes was 16% in 2008, up 3 points from 2007.

In all, post consumption plastic packaging collection for recycling rose to an average of 29% in 2008, compared to 28% in 2007.

Some European countries, such as Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, use sorting centers to recover and recycle various types of plastic packaging for new applications. Once sorted, the plastic is sent to reprocessing facilities that have the necessary crushing, washing, and drying equipment. The flakes or granules obtained are used to replace fresh materials in new applications such as coat stands, flowerpots, pallets, crates, and car parts.

All plastic material can be recycled together.

False. Plastic materials must be carefully separated according to type before recycling. The different chemical compositions of these materials make it impossible to use them together in the same new product. The following must be isolated:

   • PVC (polyvinyl chloride): pipes, windows, gloves, etc.

   • PET (polyethylene terephthalate): drink bottles, food trays, etc.
In Europe, PET bottle collection is on the rise. About 40% of these bottles are currently collected for recycling.

   • HDPE (high-density polyethylene): milk bottles, cleaning product containers, etc. In recent years, the United Kingdom has been studying the recycling of HDPE milk bottles for use in food applications. Nampak, a plastic milk container manufacturer, has signed supply contracts for 24,000 tons per year from reprocessing facilities. It aims to use 30% recycled HDPE in its plastic milk containers in 2010¹.

[1]Source Valorplast