Title: The Plastic Waste Problem and The Challenges of Plastic Recycling - 3D Insider
Headings: The Plastic Waste Problem and The Challenges of Plastic Recycling
The Plastic Waste Problem and The Challenges of Plastic Recycling
How bad is the plastic waste problem?
Cumulative plastic production
Mismanaged plastic waste
The persistence of plastic waste and effects on wildlife and humans
Why are some countries lagging in the practice of plastic waste management?
Current challenges of plastic recycling
Economics
Difficulty in sorting
Flexible packaging is difficult to recycle
Weak policy support
Needs a collaborative solution
Final thoughts

Content: Significant capital will also have to be spent to implement a system for the collection and sorting of plastic waste. With so many expenses involved, it is important for plastic recycling to be economically sustainable. This is determined by two factors – the market demand for recycled products and government support to incentivize or require plastic recycling. There’s also the fact that plastic degrades in quality every time it is recycled, making it necessary for “recycled” plastic products to have a blend of both recycled and virgin materials to ensure good product quality. This also means that plastic cannot be recycled infinitely, unlike glass or metal. This deficiency makes the economics of plastic recycling even worse. In many cases, manufacturing a product made of pure virgin plastic turns out to be cheaper blending in recycled materials. Difficulty in sorting
Before plastic waste even reaches a recycling facility, there are two hurdles to overcome – the fact that not all plastics are recyclable, and not all recyclable plastics are fit to be recycled. For instance, common recyclable plastics include High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). On the other hand, plastics such as Polystyrene (PS) and Polypropylene (PP) are still widely used but remain non-recyclable.