The recycling of rigid plastics process consists of two stages: The primary sorting is done automatically, and then a manual sort is performed to ensure that all contaminants have been eliminated. After being sorted and cleaned, plastic can then either be shredded into flakes or melted down and processed into pellets before it is finally moulded into new products.
Some facts about recycled rigid plastics in Ireland.
- Between 2004 & 2014, the global production of plastics grew from 225 million to 311 million tonnes.
- Producing plastic products from recycled plastics reduces energy requirements by 66%.
- Recycling just 1 tonne of plastics saves 1,000–2,000 gallons of petroleum.
- Plastic drinking bottles can be recycled into duvet fillings, home insulation material, clothing, bin liners, carrier bags, DVD & video game cases, compost bins, park benches, new bottles & much more!
- It takes up to 500 years for plastic to decompose.
- Almost 8 million metric tonnes of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans every year.
