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Plastics Recycling

2025
Muhammad Rabnawaz, Susan E.M. Selke, Ian Wyman

Summary

This review examines the full landscape of plastic recycling, covering mechanical and chemical recycling processes for major resin types including PE, HDPE, LDPE, PET, polyurethanes, polystyrene, and polypropylene, alongside chemical upcycling of waste plastics into higher-value products. The chapter also addresses the environmental and economic benefits of recycling, plastic resin labelling systems, and the persistent challenges limiting recycling rates globally.

This chapter discusses the recycling of plastics and the benefits that plastics can provide, such as resource conservation, energy conservation, economic benefits, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental benefits. Plastic recycling amounts and recycling rates are discussed, including the recycling of different plastic resins. The labelling of plastics according to their type of resin is also described. Various types of plastic recycling processes are discussed, including mechanical recycling as well as various forms of chemical recycling. In addition, the chemical upcycling of waste plastics into higher-value products or chemicals is also discussed. The recycling of various types of plastics, such as polyethylene, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethanes, polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP). The challenges encountered with plastic recycling is also discussed in this chapter.

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