▁process ▁of ▁recover ing ▁sc rap ▁or ▁waste ▁pl astic ▁and ▁re processing ▁the ▁material ▁into ▁useful ▁products , ▁sometimes ▁completely ▁different ▁in ▁form ▁from ▁their ▁original ▁state . ▁For ▁instance , ▁this ▁could ▁mean ▁mel ting ▁down ▁soft ▁drink ▁bott les ▁and ▁then ▁casting ▁them ▁as ▁pl astic ▁ch airs ▁and ▁tables . ▁For ▁some ▁types ▁of ▁pl astic , ▁the ▁same ▁piece ▁of ▁pl astic ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁rec yc led ▁about ▁ 2 – 3 ▁times ▁before ▁its ▁quality ▁decre ases ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁where ▁it ▁can ▁no ▁longer ▁be ▁used . ▁ ▁Phys ical ▁rec y cling ▁▁ ▁Some ▁pl ast ics ▁are ▁rem elt ed ▁to ▁form ▁new ▁pl astic ▁objects ; ▁for ▁example , ▁P ET ▁water ▁bott les ▁can ▁be ▁converted ▁into ▁poly ester ▁dest ined ▁for ▁cl othing . ▁A ▁dis adv antage ▁of ▁this ▁type ▁of ▁rec y cling ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁mole cular ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁polym er ▁can ▁change ▁further ▁and ▁the ▁levels ▁of ▁unw anted ▁subst ances ▁in ▁the ▁pl astic ▁can ▁increase ▁with ▁each ▁rem elt . ▁ ▁A ▁commercial - built ▁rec y cling ▁facility ▁is ▁scheduled ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁International ▁Space ▁Station ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁facility ▁will ▁take ▁in ▁pl astic ▁waste ▁and ▁un ne eded ▁pl astic ▁parts ▁and ▁phys ically ▁convert ▁them ▁into ▁sp ools ▁of ▁feed stock ▁for ▁the ▁space ▁station ▁add itive ▁manufact uring ▁facility ▁used ▁for ▁in - space ▁ 3 D ▁printing .