Recycling plastic bags: from collection to recycled plastic. Acceptance of plastic bags for recycling Plastic bags and film

Recycling plastic bags is an uptrend in solving waste problems, but there is still room for improvement, according to experts in the field of waste disposal. More and more grocery stores are getting involved in the plastic bag recycling program, which is playing an important role. Here are some important facts about plastic bag recycling.

Total recycling of waste plastics may grow

About 13 percent of all plastic bags, plastic film and PET bottles are recycled in 2014, according to the State Environmental Protection Agency. Polythene films are used in a wide variety of products, such as packaging materials. The rate of recycling of plastic bags is much lower than that of paper and metal or the recycling of plastic bottles. Almost 60 percent of all metals are recycled in 2014, according to the Agency, while more than 50 percent of paper is recycled in the same year.

Plastic Bag Recycling: Goals. The Association of Manufacturers of Plastic Products, which includes most plastic bag companies in Russia, has set a goal of 40 percent recycling of plastic bags and films by 2018. Achieving this goal will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save electricity to heat 200,000 homes each year, and reduce waste by 100 million kilograms annually.

The danger of plastic bags

One of the biggest dangers of plastic bags is the associated pollution and energy wasted in the original manufacturing process, which mostly uses natural gas. Recycling plastic bags at a waste sorting station, along with many other products made from recycled plastic, a waste disposal company offers a much cleaner production. The amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is reduced by 50 percent, and the energy reduction reaches 70 percent in the process of plastic recycling.

Plastic bags are also responsible for hundreds of thousands of animal deaths at sea and on land. Sea turtles are extremely vulnerable because the floating plastic bags are like jellyfish, the turtles' main food source. Other marine animals, as well as dogs, goats, cows and other animals on land, have died after eating plastic bags.

The use of recycled plastic

The recycling process of plastic bags and other plastics results in recycled plastic and returns clean plastic granules used to make products ranging from carpets to ski jacket insulation, composite lumber and flooring.

Most types of plastics do not decompose in nature or decompose extremely slowly - over hundreds and thousands of years. Therefore, by the 1970s, the world faced the problem of environmental pollution with plastic waste - and, accordingly, the issue of recycling such waste. It soon became clear that the recycling of plastic waste in itself can be a business with a fairly attractive level of marginality.

Today in Belarus there are about 100 organizations that process plastic waste. As a result of processing, prepared secondary raw materials (crushed grain, granules, flakes according to plastic grades) are obtained for the further production of new plastic products and packaging.

The following types of plastic waste are industrially processed in Belarus:

packaging labeled PET, PETE, HDPE, LDPE, PE, PP. These are plastic bottles for milk, oil, vinegar, beer, containers for shower gels and shampoos, other cosmetics, household chemicals;
plastic bags and film;
plastic basins, buckets;
handles without rods, rulers;
plastic woven bags, etc.

The demand for "secondary" plastic is quite high, and this has led to the fact that companies that are engaged in the processing of plastic waste are no longer satisfied with household and industrial waste, but are buying unnecessary plastic - primarily plastic (PET) bottles.

According to the State Institution "Operator of Secondary Material Resources", in each district of Minsk there are several points for receiving PET bottles. You can choose the nearest stationary collection point for plastic bottles by clicking on this link. The mode of operation and the cost of delivery of a kilogram of plastic waste are also indicated there.

Important point: at the reception point, you must bring at least a kilogram of plastic bottles, otherwise they will not be accepted. If you need to dispose of only one or two bottles, then it is easier to throw them in the trash, observing certain conditions:

used PET bottles should be disposed of in conspicuous yellow containers that are intended for separate collection of recyclables;
plastic bottles can be thrown into containers labeled "plastic, glass, paper", "plastic, paper" or "plastic, paper, metal".

In addition to PET bottles from drinks, you can throw away in containers for separate waste collection:

bottles from vegetable oil, vinegar, dairy products;
plastic packaging for shampoo, hairspray, shower gels and other cosmetics;
packaging from household chemicals, various detergents;
plastic bags, food packaging containers;
bread bags, milk bags, jars of yogurt, kefir;
plastic household items (buckets, basins, etc.);
plastic parts, cases of household appliances.

However, there are a number of packages that should not be thrown into plastic containers. This list includes Tetra Pak, toothpaste tubes, bags of mayonnaise, chips, tea. These packages contain not only degradable plastic, but also metal, which must be disposed of separately. Therefore, throw away tubes and packages of chips in a common container - this garbage will be buried in a landfill.

Plastic bags.

Plastic bags owe their existence to recycled oil and natural gas. They have high strength, but they are also not biologically decomposed. Not even 60 years have passed since the invention and popularization of the first bags, which means that none of them has yet undergone absolute biological decay in natural conditions. Household bags that have lost their consumer properties and ended up in the natural environment create sustainable pollution of the entire ecosystem. When they are heated and burned, harmful substances are released that are toxic to the entire ecological system. A plastic bag can be recycled in an industrial environment, only separated from the contents.

Plastic bags.

Cellophane is a transparent fat and water-resistant material made from viscose. Cellophane is environmentally safe due to its high rate of biological decomposition and the absence of plasticizers, and glycerin containing it is harmless to living organisms and, in general, to the environment. These qualities of cellophane revives interest in this type of packaging - when separated from dyes and impurities, it is completely processed by microorganisms and secondary processing is possible.

Oxo biodegradable bags.

In their production, the same polymer raw materials (crushed plastic bottles - flex PET) are used as in the manufacture of plastic bags, but with the addition of degraders. Additives artificially accelerate the process of biodegradation in the environment into carbon, water, trace elements and biomass under the influence of temperature, ultraviolet and oxygen. The decomposition period of oxo-biodegradable packaging is 1-3 years. Impurities that reduce mechanical strength and contribute to the speedy decay of plastic make it impossible to recycle it in its pure form.

Hydro-biodegradable bags.

The basis for their manufacture are food crops - vegetable polymers obtained from food highly starchy crops such as beets, corn, wheat. They are distinguished by high environmental friendliness at all stages of operation, but low strength indicators and high resource costs in production. The process of complete biological decomposition into carbon and water in 30-70 days, as a result of decomposition, biomass (compost) is formed. A T-shirt type bag is made from natural material; garbage bags and packing bags.

Paper bags. Kraft paper bags.

The raw material for their production is wood or waste paper. They have a short service life, thereby increasing their quantitative consumption and production costs for electricity and water. The ideal scheme for optimizing production and environmental costs includes the integrated responsibility of the manufacturer and the buyer. Several recycling of one paper bag is possible - wood is used to make packaging material, which after the period of use is recycled back into packaging. At the same time, waste paper is processed with lower energy costs, and paper, having completed its consumer cycle, decomposes in the soil by microorganisms.

Reusable polyester bags.

Sewn from synthetic artificial material obtained from polymeric recycled waste (secondary plastic). Completely eliminate the need to purchase plastic bags. With daily use, one such bag will last from three to five years and replace several thousand bags. Polyester products are included in the list of materials approved by the state sanitary supervision authorities of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for contact with food products, they are non-toxic when burned and decomposed. Polyester bags are recommended for recycling processing.

Textile bags.

They are made from plant fibers - jute, cotton, flax, bamboo or recycled materials. Eco-bags have become not just impersonal shopping containers, but an independent part of the wardrobe. Having completed their consumption cycle, bags decompose into non-toxic substances.

Each of us can improve the situation with the environment, we just need to be careful about our own garbage and throw it into separate containers for solid waste.

flexpet.ru

Plastic bags and films | SEPARATE COLLECTION ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT

Everything you wanted to know about packages and didn't hesitate to ask.

There are quite a few companies that process soft polymers, but most of them prefer to work with waste products from large enterprises and look at “household” plastic with distrust. There are good reasons for this: household plastic is often contaminated with substances that unpredictably affect the recycling process, and it turns out that it is more difficult to wash these substances from soft packaging than from hard packaging. Companies naturally do not want to risk expensive equipment and the quality of entire batches of finished products due to impurities in raw materials and they take the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, there are still few people willing to invest in new raw material pretreatment technologies that reduce the above-mentioned risks.

Companies that do not impose strict requirements on raw materials also exist, for example, manufacturers of polymer-sand tiles and other building materials are ready to accept even a mixture of different types of soft plastic.

Types of plastic bags and films.

polyethylene (marking 02, HDPE, HDPE and 04, LDPE, LDPE): polyethylene can be of high and low density (low and high pressure, respectively), if there is no marking, then you can distinguish one material from another as follows: thin rustling packaging bags and large part of the T-shirt packages is 02; and soft, as if oily bags, greenhouse, stretch and air-bubble film - 04.
polypropylene (marking 05, PP, PP): most often such packaging is shiny and “crispy”, easily torn, does not stretch. Cereals, pasta, bread, cookies, etc. are packed in polypropylene. Opaque wrappers from chocolate bars are also PP with the addition of a dye, such packaging is more difficult to recycle, so it is not accepted everywhere.
composite plastic (marking type C/xx or 07/other)
biodegradable and pseudo-biodegradable (be sure to read about the difference in a separate material!)

Don't confuse plastic bags with "cellophane"!

A huge number of people, out of habit, call this word any rustling waterproof bags. In fact, today 99.9% of bags and films are made of plastic - polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE) or polypropylene (PP). Cellophane, as reflected in its name, is a chemically processed cellulose - that is, it is the closest relative of paper and is marked PAP (that is, paper, paper).

Cellophane "boom" occurred in the 70s - 80s. Since the beginning of the 90s, it has been replaced by cheaper and easier-to-manufacture polyethylene. However, if a plastic bag quickly decomposes into organic components, a plastic bag will decompose for about 150 years.

The question of how much more environmentally friendly cellophane is than polyethylene is ambiguous - after all, to produce a plastic bag, you need not just to combine a couple of molecules, but to cut down a living tree and thoroughly process it. However, due to its advantages in terms of reducing the global landfill, this material is slowly re-entering the market. Mixing cellophane with plastic bags and film going for recycling is dangerous - cellulose can flare up in conditions in which plastic cannot catch fire in principle. In addition, if it gets into a tile made from shredded bags, the cellophane will begin to rot, which will cause it to become unusable ahead of time. Therefore, a big request: if you come across a transparent, crisp film marked PAP, send it to the general trash.

Cellophane article on Wikipedia

Where can I take plastic bags for recycling? (Information as of January 2018)

We were able to obtain reliable information about several companies, both large and small, that actually collect, process (and partially recycle) soft plastic from the population. We hope that the list will be supplemented and expanded, including with your help. Write to us if you learn something new!

The ExpertVtor company prepares various types of recyclable materials, also accepts and independently processes LDPE bags and film, and some time ago they began to accept PP (5) and HDPE (2) packages, but not any (for details, see the table below10. These 'ExpertVtor' packages are sorted, pressed and sold to other processors.

stationary point of reception at the design factory "Flacon" st. Bolshaya Novodmitrovskaya, 36, building 15. (to the right of building 15). There is a receptionist at the checkpoint during working hours, but even without him, the checkpoint works offline every day and around the clock!
on the actions of our movement:

The Tsessor company is based in Elektrostal near Moscow and is engaged in the collection and partial processing of recyclable materials, incl. polymer. It accepts any bags / soft polymer packaging, except for foil packaging and the one with markings 3 and 7. During the tour to the Tsessora processing plant, our activists learned that recyclables from stocks are sent to other processors. If the raw material is pre-sorted by type (and color!), then it has a chance for a higher level of processing than becoming an additive in polymer sand tiles. Recyclers that Cessor works with: recyclene.ru, mplastika.ru, etc. Where they accept:

stationary containers in Elektrostal (see recyclemap.ru map)
on the actions of our Movement “Separate Collection:

The Ecoline company works under a long-term state contract in the districts of the Central Administrative District and the Central Administrative District, declares that some types of soft packaging can be put into their containers for separate collection (see the table below for details), but has not yet provided information about what happens next.

Project "Glass" from Butovo. Where it takes place: at shares in Butovo in the South-Western Administrative District, Moscow

The company "Sphere of Ecology" at its collection point on "Artplay" currently accepts only transparent packaging and air-bubble film LDPE (04). Where he receives: Moscow, Nizhnyaya Syromyatnicheskaya st., 10, building 3 (from 9 to 19, without lunch and days off)

type of soft packaging	company
type of soft packaging	ExpertVtor	Cessor	Ecoline	Glass	Sphere of Ecology
HDPE, HDPE, 02, 2, transparent	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
HDPE, HDPE, 02, 2, opaque	Yes	Yes	?	No	No
LDPE,PVD, 04, 4, transparent	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
LDPE,PVD, 04, 4, opaque	Yes	Yes	?	No	No
PP, PP, 05, 5, transparent	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
PP, PP, 05, 5, opaque	Yes	Yes	?	No	No
PVC/PVC/3	No	No	No	No	No
7(other)	No	No	No	No	No
with labels, price tags	No	No	No	No	No
dirty/greasy/crumbs	No	No	No	No	No
“biodegradable” bags	No	No	No	No	No
foil	No	No	No	No	No
non-foiled combined plastic (marking type C/xx)	No	No	No	No	No

How bags and film mixtures are recycled (video)

Recycling bags and films

The problem of plastic bags and examples of solutions in the world.

The key components in PE bags are oil and natural gas. About 4% of world oil production is spent on their production. At the same time, the average lifespan of a package is 20 minutes, and decomposition is from 100 years.

Few people think that this handy invention creates a huge number of problems, kills millions of birds and animals every year, and sometimes even leads to floods.

Now more than 150 million tons of plastic pollute the world's oceans, said the British environmental NGO Ellen Macarthur Foundation.

The problem of used bags in the world is already so acute that various measures are being taken to combat environmental pollution with polyethylene, and about 40 countries have already introduced a ban or restriction on the sale and production of plastic bags:

In the European Union, on April 16, 2014, a directive was adopted to reduce the number of plastic bags by 50% by 2017 and by 80% by 2019.

Denmark. In 1994, a tax was introduced on the free distribution of plastic bags. After that, demand for it fell by 90%.

Germany. The disposal of the bags is paid by the consumers, while the sellers and distributors are responsible for the collection and recycling.

Ireland. An "environmental" tax has been introduced. As a result, package consumption has decreased by 90%.

Singapore, Bangladesh, Taiwan. A total ban on the use of plastic bags has been introduced. The reason for this was the facts of sewage blockage and blocking of river beds with plastic. Recall that in Bangladesh, plastic bags were the main cause of floods in 1988 and 1998, which flooded 2/3 of the country.

Tanzania. Here, for the production, import or sale of plastic bags, they are fined $ 2,000 or imprisoned for a year.

Zanzibar. The import of plastic bags is prohibited.

Australia. Since January 2004, on Kangaroo Island, the authorities have introduced a ban on plastic bags. By the end of 2008, there was an outright ban on the use of plastic bags in supermarkets across the country.

England. Here, the population has been using biodegradable bags since 2004.

Latvia. A tax on disposable bags is used to reduce their use.

Finland. In this advanced country, there are machines in stores for recycling and producing new plastic.

China. From June 1, 2008, it is forbidden to produce, sell and use plastic bags with a film thickness of less than 0.025 mm, and their free distribution will be prohibited in shops and supermarkets.

Italy. Since January 1, 2011, the use of plastic bags has been banned in the country. Instead, they use reusable bags or biopackages.

Rwanda. Stores around the country have banned the distribution of plastic bags to customers. Local police on the street stops those who dare to walk with a bag in their hands. Environment Minister Drosella Mugorevera said some supermarkets that failed to comply with the law had their trading licenses revoked.

India. Under the new law, any citizen who uses plastic bags can be imprisoned for up to 7 years or fined up to 100,000 rupees, equivalent to 2,000 US dollars. This ban was introduced following the example of South Africa.

Egypt. A ban on the use of plastic bags was introduced in 2008. The authorities decided to take these measures in order to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Red Sea, where coral reefs are the first to suffer from plastic bags thrown into the sea.

France. In 2017, France passed a ban on single-use plastic bags (less than 10 liters capacity and less than 50 microns thick - that's a millionth of a meter) that are distributed in large supermarkets around the world. This is only part of a large EU program against the use of plastic, where they already understand that it is he who has a significant impact on the environment.

Russia. There are no official restrictions on the use of plastic bags in our country. However, in Russia, plastic bags have recently been banned from being called “biodegradable”. Unfortunately, we are still very far from the ban on plastic bags. Meanwhile, in the capital alone, about a hundred thousand tons of plastic bags are used every year, and hardly a third of this amount is disposed of (most often through conventional burial).

What to do?

rsbor-msk.ru

from collection to recycled plastic

Home » Garbage and waste

Recycling plastic bags is a rising trend in solving waste problems, but there is still room for improvement, according to experts in the field of waste disposal. More and more grocery stores are getting involved in the plastic bag recycling program, which is playing an important role. Here are some important facts about plastic bag recycling.

Total recycling of waste plastics may grow

About 13 percent of all plastic bags, plastic film and PET bottles are recycled in 2014, according to the State Environmental Protection Agency. Polythene films are used in a wide variety of products, such as packaging materials. The recycling rate for plastic bags is much lower than that for paper and metal or recycling plastic bottles. Almost 60 percent of all metals are recycled in 2014, according to the Agency, while more than 50 percent of paper is recycled in the same year.

Recycling plastic bags: Goals. The Association of Manufacturers of Plastic Products, which includes most plastic bag companies in Russia, has set a goal of 40 percent recycling of plastic bags and films by 2018. Achieving this goal will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save electricity to heat 200,000 homes each year, and reduce waste by 100 million kilograms annually.

The danger of plastic bags

The use of recycled plastic

meclean.ru

Where to put plastic bags. Solution Options

Plastic bags in the kitchen are a common thing. They appear in the house with products from shops and supermarkets and simply in the form of packaging. Each of us would like to reduce the negative impact of polyethylene on the environment, and for this we use plastic bags for the second, or even third time. So you have to hide them all over the kitchen in order to use them again after a while. But the number of plastic bags waiting to be reused is growing exponentially, and it's starting to get annoying. But only to make room for new plastic bags. To get your nervous system in order, read our tips on where to put plastic bags and how to store plastic bags.

ecological option.

Almost every city has a recycling center. These points accept used batteries, plastic, polyethylene, rubber tires, used batteries. To find where to drop off plastic bags in your city, just google the plastic collection points on the Internet. Collect all the bags in a large bag (sorry for the tautology) and go to donate. In addition to the feeling of satisfaction received from the contribution to the ecological state of your city, you will receive money from the recyclers. Let small, but still.

Read about the creation, use and disposal of plastic bags on the Wikipedia website.

Economical option.

No hardware store will offer you an option on how to store plastic bags at home. If you visit online stores, you can choose the option that suits you best, in which to store plastic bags - a kind of organizer in which the cellophane bags are placed from above, and removed through a special hole. Such containers from the Internet can be placed on the table, hung on a hook on the work wall, on the doorknob, or hung in a niche under the sink. They are made of plastic or metal, have all kinds of shapes and colors. But, each of us knows how to count money. And no one needs additional expenses in the form of buying a container for cellophane. Therefore, we suggest choosing for yourself not only where to store plastic bags, but also how. It is convenient to store plastic bags in:

paper napkin packaging. Those who do not use such napkins can successfully use a tea box. In general, any cardboard, metal, plastic box will do. The compact size allows you to keep such a container in any kitchen drawer. To ensure maximum convenience, you can cut a hole in the top of the box.
plastic bottle. Cut off the bottom and neck of the bottle (determine the required volume yourself). Then put the bags in it and use it with pleasure. Needlewomen and creative personalities can decorate the bottle with decor. This design is also convenient because it can be attached from the inside of any kitchen door.
Continuing the theme of a plastic bottle, a container for liquid detergent or washing powder is suitable for the role of a bag storage.
knitted bag. It costs nothing for needlewomen to crochet or knit a cellophane storage bag from the remnants of yarn. If in your house there is an old knitted thing that no one is going to wear, then you can make a storage of plastic bags from the sleeve of the product. On both sides of the cut off sleeve, stretch the lace or braid and tighten. It will turn out something like sweets or sausages (as you like).
embroidered bag-doll. To make such a doll, we turn on the imagination and creatively approach the execution of storage for cellophane. In the finished doll, the sewing pattern of which is on the Internet, we place a capacious bag under the skirt. In this bag we will store the packages. To prevent them from falling out, we tighten the bottom of the bag with an elastic band.
knitted bag made of plastic bags. If you know how to knit, then instead of yarn to create a bag storage, use cellophane. This, by the way, to the question of where you can use plastic bags.
sleeve from paper towels or foil. If there are not too many bags, then you can hide them in a cardboard sleeve remaining after using paper towels or foil. You can store these sticks with cellophane bags inside anywhere.
spice basket in the package. In such a container, which is a colored basket, it is convenient to store folded large bags in an upright position, having previously tied them with a rubber band.

How to compactly fold plastic bags.

We have decided on the type of cellophane storage. However, we all understand that if you try to cram all the bags together, then the capacity suffers. But if you fold the bags compactly, then much more bags will fit into the organizer or storage bag. Folding in a neat order will not only increase the number of bags in the “bag storage”, but also align them.

triangle folding. Level the bag on a flat surface. Fold in half lengthwise, and then a couple more times. Grasping the bottom edge of the bag from the fold, bend it into a triangle. Next, continue to bend the triangle to the very top. Such a tiny triangle takes up little space.

if you fold a large plastic bag with handles into a triangle, then fill the handles of the bag into a triangle. Then they won't hang out.

rolling into a tube. We level the bag on the table, and then fold it several times to make a strip. We wrap the strip around two fingers, and fix the bag with the wrapped handles of the package. To do this, we wrap the handles around the ring from the bag.

Rigid large packages are simply folded in half or three. This will be the solution to the problem of how to fold plastic bags into a box. Any of these methods of folding cellophane allows you to identify torn, dirty or old bags during the folding process and dispose of them.

How can plastic bags be used?

It is not only possible, but also necessary to give a second life to cellophane bags (we don’t keep them in vain?). Plastic bags can be used for:

cleaning up after pets while walking on the street. When you go out for a walk with your four-legged pet, put a few plastic bags in your pocket to use as gloves when cleaning up after the animal.
work in the horticultural area. Putting such a cellophane bag on your palm, you can safely dig in the ground without fear of getting your hands dirty.
garbage. Do not buy special garbage bags, but use the used bags available in your house.
protect brushes from drying out. After working with paints and varnishes, wrap the brush with a bag so that it does not dry out.
sending a parcel by mail. Wrap the parcel or parcel in bags, then the recipient will receive the item or thing you sent in integrity and safety.
warming plants in the offseason. Many people know how dangerous spring frosts are. Therefore, you can cover seedlings with bags for the night. A kind of mini-greenhouse will protect young sensitive plants.
knitting bags and rugs. Colored polyethylene rugs will be appropriate in the hallway. And in a plastic bag you can not only store old bags, but also go to the grocery store with it.
repeat purchases. Everything is clear here.
visits to medical institutions. Plastic bags can be used instead of shoe covers. By putting bags on your shoes, save on shoe covers. You still have to throw away this and that.

What can replace plastic bags.

You can reduce the amount of cellophane in the kitchen and at home by using instead of bags:

paper bags.
translucent pouches sewn from tulle.
large shopping bags made of environmentally friendly materials. Such bags are sold in shops and supermarkets near the cash register.
foil. Wrapping sandwiches and other foods in foil is much more convenient.
food film. Similar to the previous point.

As practice shows, you cannot do without plastic bags, but it is possible to reduce the amount of polyethylene used and tidy up your kitchen.

Video on how to conveniently store packages

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from 1 to 5 hazard class

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Why is neglect of containers dangerous and how important is polyethylene recycling for the environment? In our life, polyethylene is present as a packaging container, but despite its narrow specialization, it is widespread everywhere. Almost every house has a package with packages that we collect from the principles of economy. But the trouble is, it turns out that the better the raw material, the more difficult it is to dispose of it and the longer the period of its decomposition itself.

The relevance of processing

Recycling of polyethylene raw materials is an important cost item for the city, as the material is characterized by incredible stability. He is not afraid of water, alkali, salt solutions. Polyethylene is not afraid even of organic and inorganic acids. It can be noted that these are good qualities, but they can turn into a number of problems.

First of all, the ecological situation causes concern - according to approximate estimates, the decomposition of polyethylene takes up to 300 years. If a simple plastic bag ends up in a landfill in the general mass of household waste, then it greatly complicates the recycling process. Over time, this package undergoes thermal aging, gradually decomposing under the influence of sunlight, heat and oxygen. As it breaks down, the harmless package releases harmful chemicals into the soil and water.

Alas, it is not possible to limit the production of plastics and polyethylene, but it is possible to rationally organize the entire workflow. Waste polyethylene, in fact, is a versatile material. Recycling of polyethylene without exaggeration can be called the new life of raw materials. Man is required to create and improve ways to collect and process raw materials in order to make the process cyclical. Polyethylene waste may well become everyday items.

Processing companies

In recent years, the number of organizations processing this raw material has been systematically growing. Moreover, the point is not only in environmental problems, but also in the prospects for the development of such a business. Polyethylene can be an excellent base for creating plastic panels, garbage containers, and all kinds of household containers. There is a certain scope for the imagination of entrepreneurs, although, of course, secondary polyethylene products involve some limitations.

The recycling of film and bags does not cause difficulties, since the structure of the materials used does not change for the most part, but the quality of the recycled raw materials decreases, and, accordingly, the scope of further application narrows.

Workflow Features

There are several cycles of processing plastic bags, films. The first cycle has almost no effect on the decrease in consumer characteristics of new products. But each subsequent cycle makes its own “negative contribution”, making raw materials suitable only for the production of special materials.

According to existing technologies, six stages of polyethylene waste processing can be distinguished:

First comes the collection of raw materials: films, bottles, other household waste. Waste sorting can be done by manual or mechanical labor. If household waste during collection is divided into waste paper, glass, paper, PET, then it is possible to reduce the amount of garbage that needs to be disposed of by a third.
The collected raw materials are sent to washing machines. This stage is necessary in order to get rid of dirt, foreign objects and paper. If raw materials are delivered directly to collection points, then the receiver can check the condition of the film, bottles, waste paper in order to increase or decrease the price offered for them.
Next, the collected raw materials are crushed, for which crushing plants are used.
In case moisture or random solid impurities remain in the raw material, the centrifuge process is carried out.
Now the material is sent to the drying chamber, where heat treatment also takes place.
The work is completed and the material is ready for recycling. It can be used to make universal products: plastic film, bags, packaging, pipes.

Work in detail

And now let's try to take a closer look at the process of processing polyethylene into granules, because before that the process was considered only schematically. Of course, the right equipment is required for the job.

Well-established work is possible with:

washing machine
crushing plant
centrifuges
drying plant
agglomerator
granulator
extruder

In production, the presence of a conveyor or pneumatic conveyor will be relevant, which will allow the process to be fully automated.

At home, it is almost impossible to establish an uninterrupted process for obtaining recycled polyethylene, but you can lay the foundation for a promising business. First of all, you can declare the process of collecting raw materials, since without it such work is in principle impossible. Manual sorting of household waste will cost less than mechanical sorting, but you will have to start with a small amount of raw materials used.

Self-processing of the film allows you to get a dense waterproof fabric with a waterproofing function. The work process itself is simple - a piece of film must be laid between two parts of the fabric and ironed with an electric iron. The output is a three-layer composite material, as the film melts and penetrates into the layers of the fabric. With your own hands, you can get a composite material based on film, fabric and aluminum foil. The algorithm of operation is the same except for the fact that one layer of fabric is replaced by foil. Film, fabric and foil material is an excellent heat insulator. With the help of cross-linked polyethylene, many people equip a warm floor in the house.

For more benefit

Agglomerator - a device capable of processing film and bottles. Due to the temperature effect, an agglomerate is obtained - baked lumps from former bottles and films. The agglomerate can be sold already at this stage or go further and process it into pellets.

The polyethylene granulator allows you to increase the company's income from the collection and sale of secondary raw materials. The result is a product that technically outperforms its “powdery or flake counterparts in the shop” due to its small volume (and, accordingly, lower packaging and transportation costs), high flowability, minimization of losses and dust formation, lower risk of destruction and photoaging.

Why does an enterprise need an extruder? Just with its help, you can get a unique material - low-pressure polyethylene. The extruder starts working after the agglomerator has his say and turns the result of collection and processing into slurry. Now the molten mass of plastic goes through the forming hole, where it melts and creates threads that cool under water and are cut into small pieces. At the output, a HDPE granule is ready.

At low pressure

Low density polyethylene is widely used all over the world. It is an organic compound that resembles white wax. Recycled low-density polyethylene is obtained through the collection and recycling of bottles and pipes.

This material is not afraid of frost or chemicals. It does not feel shock and is not a current conductor. It should be added that this material is waterproof and does not react with alkalis, acids and salt solutions. HDPE decomposes under the action of nitric acid (50%), chlorine and fluorine.

How this product can be useful

Based on HDPE, accessories for swimming pools are made.
It is used in the process of 3D printers.
Such material is actual for work in the conditions of chemical and electric influence.
HDPE is good for creating anti-corrosion coating, food containers, bottles and collecting water connections.
In sports facilities, HDPE is used for the production of gymnastic hoops.
In restaurants, HDPE is a future plastic bag, plastic set or container. The HDPE bag rustles and wrinkles, so it is used for the so-called "T-shirts".
Pyrotechnics makers use HDPE to make their work more spectacular.

Outcome

The processing of polyethylene raw materials into granules makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of garbage in urban landfills. Remember that polyethylene and plastic almost do not decompose. Meanwhile, on the basis of PET, you can do a successful business. Don't throw away things that might come in handy later. Even a simple package, bottle, film - can be useful for business.

It is already impossible to imagine the modern world without plastic products. About a third of all plastic products today are made from polyethylene. Along with the obvious benefits of its use, the search for effective ways of processing and utilizing this polymer remains an urgent problem.

Polyethylene (accepted abbreviations - PET, PE) is a thermoplastic polymer that is widely used to create a huge number of goods. Its use began in the 20th century: since the 30s it has been used in the production of telephone cables, since the 50s - as packaging in the food industry.

Today the list of PET products is huge:

packaging film, bags, garbage bags;
Scotch;
all kinds of containers: bottles, jars, boxes, canisters, containers, flower pots, etc.;
pipes for sewerage and gas supply;
electrical insulation, thermal insulation;
accumulators, containers for liquid and solid chemicals;
various types of fencing, etc.

Depending on the technologies, polyethylene of various types and performance properties is obtained and used in modern industry, for example:

high pressure or low density (abbr. -, LDPE, LDPE - a more plastic type of polyethylene, used for the production of film, cable);
low pressure or high density (abbr. - HDPE, HDPE - has a more rigid and durable structure);
polyethylene terephthalate (abbr. - PET, PET, PETE - used only for the production of disposable goods), etc.

What is polyethylene of different density, and what types of packaging are made from it

Manufacturing process of plastic bags

The main types of polyethylene waste and where they come from

The popularity and mass consumption of PE lead to the fact that every day a huge number of used items from it fall into the category of waste:

Polyethylene household products. This includes packaging film, bags, bottles, bottles and canisters from household chemicals, waste blisters from medicines and other items used by a person in everyday life. All this is thrown into ordinary garbage containers for MSW (solid household waste) every day. According to various estimates, the share of polyethylene in MSW is about ten percent of the total volume.
PE industrial waste. This, again, is packaging film, all kinds of bags, plastic packaging waste from stores (for example, food boxes), pipes, worn cable braids, etc.
Technological marriage at the enterprises for the production of PE products. Its volume can reach up to ten percent of all raw materials produced.

Polyethylene products are cheap and convenient. The most significant "disadvantage" of any type of plastic is the long period of natural decomposition of waste.

According to preliminary estimates by ecologists, the decay time of a polyethylene film or bottle in wildlife is from one hundred to two hundred years. This makes the threat of the death of all living things under tons of plastic garbage very real in the near future.

Where to take PET waste?

The bulk of household polyethylene waste ends up in ordinary garbage - containers for solid waste, located in the yards of residential buildings. A significant disadvantage of this disposal method is the heavy contamination of PET with food residues, chemicals, dirt, liquids, etc. In the future, the total mass of garbage will need to be sorted, and the plastic itself will require additional cleaning.

Important! An excellent solution today is to sort household waste already at the time of its disposal, when plastic items are put into specially designated storage bins.

Unfortunately, while this method, which is very popular in European countries, takes root in Russia with difficulty:

such containers are not yet available in every yard and not even in every settlement;
there is no working penal system for violating the sorting rules, and as a result, even with such “distributors”, other types of garbage often end up in the plastic tank.

You can hand over PET waste:

For enterprises directly involved in the processing of PET waste, if they accept them themselves.
Recycling points operating in every city - they accept waste paper, scrap metal, plastic, etc. Payment for the delivery of plastic will be cheap, but in this way you will make your contribution to the preservation of the environment.

What products are made from recycled polyethylene?

The raw materials obtained as a result of recycling plastics are a cheap and high-quality material for the manufacture of a huge number of new useful goods:

waste with a short period of use - bottles, disposable containers and packaging - are successfully processed into similar products;
granules of secondary raw materials serve as an additive to primary polyethylene, for example, in the production of pressure pipes or large volume containers;
blown bottles, canisters for food products and household chemicals are used for the subsequent production of drainage pipes, wood-polymer composites (picket fence, decking, garden parquet, etc. are made from them);
film waste from household waste, as well as used film for agricultural purposes, is usually processed into granules for future injection molding products;
multilayer films as well as cable waste can only be recycled as additives for other pellets, etc.

Depending on the type of PE product, as well as the area where it was used, the methods and equipment used for its recycling will differ significantly.

Recycling of PET products

What does the production of polyethylene waste processing consist of? The full cycle will include several main stages:

Recycling polyethylene at home

Today, the possibility of recycling polyethylene at home occupies many inquisitive minds. For example, there are already developed methods for safe self-incineration of PET containers, proposed by researchers working in the field of ecology.

But there is an alternative view: when burning or even melting plastic, substances harmful to humans and nature are released into the atmosphere. Therefore, self-burning or recycling of polyethylene waste is prohibited; such work can only be carried out by special enterprises with the appropriate license.

PET recycling

Speaking of recycling, today they often mean plastic recycling processes, when recyclable materials get a “new life” and are used to re-manufacture products.

Sometimes recycling refers to an alternative to recycling - the physical destruction of waste plastics or their storage in landfills and landfills. Since burning plastic is prohibited, other, more environmentally friendly methods are used to destroy it.

From the point of view of preserving the environment, it is highly effective, for example, - the thermal decomposition of plastics at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment.

However, a huge amount of plastic waste still ends up just in city landfills.

PET waste recycling is a promising direction in the economy, which is also supported by environmentalists. As technology advances, recycling of plastic waste is becoming cheaper for the manufacturer, while at the same time ridding the planet of excess plastic, which is difficult to decompose in natural conditions. The environmental risks that arise during the recycling process cannot be compared with the problems that humanity will face in the near future, as there are more and more garbage dumps every year.