{"id":977,"date":"2025-06-17T13:35:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T10:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elastomer.kuraray.com\/in\/?p=977"},"modified":"2025-06-27T19:04:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T16:04:30","slug":"plastic-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elastomer.kuraray.com\/in\/blog\/plastic-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"What is plastic recycling?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What is plastic recycling?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/p>

Robin Conrad<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Plastic recycling is the processing of plastic waste into useful products, including new plastic and chemical feedstocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because plastics are a wide and adaptable class of materials with varying chemical compositions, there\u2019s no universal recycling process. Instead, they must be sorted, cleaned, and recycled through one of several different processes. Although this can be complicated and expensive, plastic recycling is a rapidly growing area of research that is increasingly intertwined with the future of manufacturing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Why is it important to recycle plastics?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the beginning of the Plastic Age in 1950, industries ranging from consumer goods<\/a> to construction<\/a> have become increasingly reliant on plastic as an inexpensive, adaptable material for almost any application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the widespread use of fossil-based plastics, which are non-biodegradable<\/strong> and non-renewable<\/strong>, has far-reaching consequences. The plastic waste people produce is here to stay, collecting in the ecosphere, landfills, groundwater, and oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By recycling plastic, manufacturers and consumers prevent widespread pollution, conserve energy, and reduce emissions. When we reuse existing plastic, we conserve limited oil reserves, protect ecosystems, and even create jobs. As sustainability becomes increasingly important, so does plastic recycling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Plastic pollution has profound impacts, and people have produced enough of it to create the Great Pacific Garbage Patch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Plastic recycling: Facts and figures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although recycling is on the rise, most plastic waste is not recycled. Incineration and landfills remain the most common methods of handling plastic waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n