Six Most Recent Plastic Recycling Innovations

Items made of plastic have become a necessary element of our everyday life. However, because of the harmful consequences that plastic trash has on the environment, people are now looking for new and imaginative ways to deal with the material.

There are more competitive firms than ever before due to globalisation and the rapid evolution of the market environment. The ability to successfully innovate allows you to add value to your company while simultaneously increasing your earnings.

In this post, we will discuss the various plastic advancements that will be used to upcycle plastic trash and make it more environmentally friendly.

Most Recent Plastic Recycling and Replacement Innovations 

1. Chemical recycling 

One of the reasons plastic is such a popular and widely utilised material on a global scale is its ease of recycling. Plastic recycling has been defined as recovering scrap or discarded plastics and repurposing them. Recycling benefits the environment and generates new economic opportunities by repurposing bottles, packaging, and other plastic waste.

While recycling has been conducted for a long period, there are now more inventive methods available. Chemical recycling is a broad phrase that refers to a number of new waste management methods that enable the recycling of plastics that are difficult or uneconomic to recycle mechanically.

Additionally, this technique degrades the plastic at the molecular level, allowing it to be repurposed into valuable components. Overall, chemical recycling reduces reliance on crude oil imports and reduces the carbon footprint of products.  

Simply said, chemical recycling degrades plastic at the molecular level. 

This means that the monomer can be recovered through closed-loop recycling, or the plastic trash can be converted into other higher-value compounds through open-loop recycling.

2. Plastic roads

Plastic roads are entirely built of plastic or made of plastic composites with other materials. Moreover, plastic-bitumen composite roads outperform regular asphalt concrete roads in terms of wear resistance. They do not absorb water, are more flexible, and hence cause less rutting and require less repair. Road surfaces retain their smoothness, require less maintenance, and absorb sound more effectively. Not only that, but these roads survive three times as long as conventional roads.

To begin plastic manufacturing, the plastic material must be collected and managed. The melted plastic is then combined with hot bitumen. After mixing, the material is laid in the same manner as conventional asphalt concrete. By utilising solely single-use plastics for their intended function, these roads assist in carbon reduction.

Pakistan has opened the country’s first road constructed entirely of plastic garbage. Furthermore, South Africa is the most recent country to implement the usage of plastic bottles in road building and maintenance. 

3. Shoes made of plastic 

Plastics are increasingly being incorporated into a range of fashion goods, including footwear. Plastic shoes are admired for their comfort and design. There are numerous high-quality garments and accessories created from recycled plastic. Even the world of haute couture has begun to employ it.

Thaely is one brand that manufactures shoes entirely out of plastic. This Indian shoe startup, whose name stems from the Hindi word for plastic bag, is revolutionising the way sneakers are created in the country. The company recycles waste materials such as plastic bags and bottles to create footwear that can be distributed worldwide. Other brands making strides toward more environmentally responsible footwear include Cariuma, Reebok, Stella McCartney, Converse, and Nike. 

4. Plastic beauty packaging 

Packaging is important, even more so for beauty products, as they are frequently applied near the eyes, nose, and mouth. PP is the most often used form of plastic in cosmetic packaging. PET and acrylic components are also used in other polymers. Furthermore, Lush Cosmetics, a well-known cosmetics brand, has begun adopting PCR PP packaging for its Black Pot containers. The company now strives to have 100% of its packaging recyclable or compostable. 

5. Oil made of plastic 

In general, plastic items contribute significantly to energy conservation and security. The great majority of plastic in use today is synthetic, owing to the simplicity with which crude oil can be processed. Furthermore, the plastics industry requires only 4% of global oil production as feedstock. The remainder is devoted to energy and transportation. 

6. Homes made of plastic 

Nowadays, modern homes are created entirely of plastic for various purposes. Plastics are robust, durable, waterproof, lightweight, easy to mould, and recyclable, all of which are critical characteristics for construction materials. Furthermore,  these dwellings are increasingly being constructed out of plastic, such as PEX, because of PEX’s low cost, strength, and flexibility.

Individuals ultimately use this material just like how we deal with LEGO blocks. It is frequently used in the construction industry for pipes and fittings, flooring, window and door profiles, and more.  One advantage of adopting these materials is that they possess remarkable characteristics such as water resistance. Besides this, they possess other features such as corrosion resistance and electrical insulation. However, the plastic mixture will biodegrade eventually, but not for at least 500 years.

Sustainable plastic packaging 

Natural resources are depleted by conventional packing. Sustainable packaging requires less natural resource use, which enables firms to continue providing products and services for an extended period of time.

Plas-Pak WA is constantly implementing waste and trash reduction measures, and our staff work relentlessly to achieve our shared goal of zero landfills. Our scrap rate has been significantly reduced in an effort to increase the sustainability of our operations. 

Our production plant in Perth is 4,500 square metres in size and offers a complete range of plastic packaging and injection moulding services. This encompasses all process aspects, from concept and design to manufacturing and delivery.