PLASTIC RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY. 

Plastic wastes are one of most non degradable plastics that can settle up to 1000 years without degrading, one of the ways of waste disposal include recycling, whereby waste is reformed and remodeled into new material that can be used once again. Recycling is one of the most used environmental technologies nowadays in most countries, almost all over the world plastic recycling is performed to reduce the number of plastics waste. 

Polymers-Is the combination of two or more monomers, a good example of polymer is Sucrose which is formed by monomers of glucose and fructose. Likewise to plastics, most of them are polymers of their monomers ie. PVC (polyvinyl Chloride) is a polymer of Vinyl Chlorides. 

So during plastics recycling monomers are disassembled and rejoined again to form a polymer once again, these types of polymers that can be remolded are regarded as thermoplastics, while non degradable polymers are regarded as Thermosettings.

From the point of view above, not all plastics can be recycled, and recycling capacity differs from one plastic to another based on some chemical bonds that exist within the polymer, the more bonds available the more complexity of recycling. 

Plastics are categorized on recyclability in terms of resin identification codes(1-7) as follows. 

• Resin plastics code 1- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), These plastics are more used in water bottles and plastic trays.

• Resin plastics code 2-High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), These plastics are more used in milk bottles, jerry cans, shampoo bottles, cleaners plastics and general heavy industrial plastics. 

• Resin plastics code 3-Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Highly used to manufacture pipes, windows, doors frames, thermal insulations materials, and other automotive parts.

• Resin plastics code 4-Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), These are mostly used in food bags as packaging films, bin liners, and carrier bags.

• Resin plastics code 5 -Polypropylene (PP), These plastics are used in packing tapes,  plastic straws, microwavable meal trays, juice tubes.

• Resin plastics code 6 - Polystyrene (PS), used in yogurt packaging, foam fast food boxes, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic devices and toys.

• Resin plastic code 7- Others, this group combines other plastics that can be recycled but weren't included in the group codes above. 

Note. The higher the resin code the more complex the process of recycling, PET are more easily recycled than any other plastics. 

Non recyclable plastics are bioplastics, composite plastic, plastic-coated wrapping paper and polycarbonate

References. 

• https://www.slrecyclingltd.co.uk/what-plastics-can-and-cannot-be-recycled/
• https://cambrianpackaging.co.uk/what-are-resin-identification-codes/#:~:text=The%20Resin%20Identification%20Codes%201,polyethylene%20(LDPE)%2C%205%20means

• https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101

• https://www.epa.gov/recycle