Plastics and Priority during the Recycling

Increasing demand for post-consumer plastics recycling comes from growing environmental awareness and the need for sustainability as well as from legislative measures. Generally, the recycling of plastics is important in terms of natural resources preservation (oil, natural gas), energy conservation, saving of landfill spaces, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, overall environmental protection, and economical benefits. The different types of plastics recycling result in valuable raw materials (mechanical and chemical recycling) or in a notable quantity of energy when plastic waste is used as a fuel (energy recovery). A priority during recycling is to create high quality pretreatment processes of post-consumer plastics in order to obtain the best possible product and to minimize recycling expenses. This chapter gives a general overview of plastics recycling, especially of pretreatment procedures, with an emphasis on poly(ethylene-terephthalate), polyethylene, and tire recycling processes. It reveals the main problems during these processes and states their analysis and possible solutions.

[1]  L. K. Krehula,et al.  Weathering of High-Density Polyethylene-Wood Plastic Composites , 2014 .

[2]  Kotiba Hamad,et al.  Recycling of waste from polymer materials: An overview of the recent works , 2013 .

[3]  L. K. Krehula,et al.  Cleaning efficiency of poly(ethylene terephthalate) washing procedure in recycling process , 2013 .

[4]  L. K. Krehula,et al.  Analysis of recycled PET bottles products by pyrolysis-gas chromatography , 2013 .

[5]  C. Rochman.  Plastics and priority pollutants: a multiple stressor in aquatic habitats. , 2013, Environmental science & technology.

[6]  Ake Larsson,et al.  Environmental and health hazard ranking and assessment of plastic polymers based on chemical composition. , 2011, The Science of the total environment.

[7]  M. Sadat‐Shojai,et al.  Recycling of PVC wastes , 2011 .

[8]  M. T. Paridah,et al.  Biological durability of injection moulded wood plastic composite boards. , 2011 .

[9]  Ernst Worrell,et al.  Open-loop recycling: A LCA case study of PET bottle-to-fibre recycling , 2010 .

[10]  Alex Rodrigues Nogueira,et al.  Additional steps in mechanical recyling of PET , 2010 .

[11]  Richard C. Thompson,et al.  Ingested microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, Mytilus edulis (L). , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[12]  S. Karlsson,et al.  Quality Concepts for the Improved Use of Recycled Polymeric Materials: A Review , 2008 .

[13]  F. Welle.  Decontamination efficiency of a new post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) recycling concept , 2008, Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment.

[14]  Katherine L. Smith,et al.  Chemical composition of fuels and emissions from a coal + tire combustion experiment in a power station , 2006 .

[15]  Z. Hrnjak-Murgić,et al.  Study of the Compatibilizer Effect on Blends Prepared from Waste Poly(ethylene-terephthalate) and High Density Polyethylene , 2006 .

[16]  Firas Awaja,et al.  Recycling of PET , 2005 .

[17]  G. Güçlü,et al.  Hydrolysis of waste polyethylene terephthalate and characterization of products by differential scanning calorimetry , 2003 .

[18]  Paul T Anastas,et al.  Origins, current status, and future challenges of green chemistry. , 2002, Accounts of chemical research.

[19]  T. Begley,et al.  Evaluating the potential for recycling all PET bottles into new food packaging , 2002, Food additives and contaminants.

[20]  D. Tassios,et al.  The selective dissolution/precipitation technique for polymer recycling : a pilot unit application , 2001 .

[21]  John M. Challinor,et al.  Review: the development and applications of thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation reactions , 2001 .

[22]  Martin Wegelin,et al.  Does sunlight change the material and content of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles , 2001 .

[23]  T. Tinçer,et al.  Preparation and characterization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) powder-filled high-density polyethylene in the presence of silane coupling agents , 2001 .

[24]  K. Suh,et al.  Improved compatibility of high-density polyethylene/poly(ethylene terephthalate) blend by the use of blocked isocyanate group , 2000 .

[25]  A. Hiltner,et al.  Mechanical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified with functionalized polymers , 1999 .

[26]  J. H. Kim,et al.  Purification of polyethylene terephthalate from polyvinyl chloride by froth flotation for the plastics (soft-drink bottle) recycling industry , 1999 .

[27]  E. Yamada,et al.  Alkali decomposition of poly(ethylene terephthalate) with sodium hydroxide in nonaqueous ethylene glycol: A study on recycling of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol , 1997 .

[28]  P. Demertzis,et al.  Studies on the development of a quick inertness test procedure for multi-use PET containers—sorption behaviour of bottle wall strips , 1997 .

[29]  M. M. Nir,et al.  Sorption and migration of organic liquids in poly(ethylene terephthalate) , 1996 .

[30]  J. Cozijnsen,et al.  Static headspace gas chromatography of acetaldehyde in aqueous foods and polythene terephthalate , 1995, Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung.

[31]  F. Chang,et al.  compatibilization of PBT/ABS blends through reactive copolymers , 1994 .

[32]  G. Kroyer,et al.  [The migration of acetaldehyde from polyethylene terephthalate bottles for fresh beverages containing carbonic acid]. , 1990, Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung.