Plastic bottle recycling, post-consumer

Post-consumer plastic bottle recycled. Plastics News [trade journal—Crain Communications] 29 December 2008. 

FIGURE 14.13 Growth in Post-Consumer Plastic Bottle Recycling... 

Polyethylene terephthalate and HDPE bottles continue to comprise over 96% of the United States plastic bottle market. In 2011, the total annual post-consumer plastic bottles recycled in the United States increased to an all-time high of 2624 million pounds. The total bottle collection rate was 28.9% for 2011. Plastic bottles with recycling codes 3 to 7 makeup only 3.5% of the plastic bottle market. Of these bottles, polypropylene bottles were recycled at a rate of 2.2% and PVC recycled bottles were recycled at a rate of 0.8% in 2011 (Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers and the American Chemistry Council 2011). 

Mechanical recycled plastics can have two forms, recycled sources, post-industrial or post-consumer plastics. Post-industrial recycling of plastics can occur with most plastic products, wherein the plastic from the sprues runners and extrudate is added back into the virgin plastic at the plastic manufacturing plant. Post-consumer recycling process occurs when plastics are made into products, for example, bottles, bags, film, packaging, used by a consumer, collected by a waste disposal company, processed into recycled pellets at a materials recovery facility (MRF), and then sold to plastic companies. 

Post-consumer polymers Polymer resins that have been converted into bottles/containers, distributed and used by the consumer. Discarded plastic material becomes the feedstock for recycling processes. 

Innovation in the fabric softener business not only focused on compositions, but also on packaging. As an alternative to plastic bottles, heat-sealed flexible polyethylene pouches were introduced to the market in the early 1980s [7], followed by several other containers free-standing flexible pouches with a solid base, different bag in a box rigid units, and refill cartons coated with chemically resistant polymers. These novelties led to a 40% reduction in plastic bottle consumption, the use of more biodegradable, renewable, easily recycled material, and a decrease in the packaging and distribution cost. New bottles made of 100% post consumer recycled plastic sandwiched between two layers of virgin resin also became available [7],... 

In 1993, collaboration between Patagonia and Malden Mills (now Polartec) led to the early development of recycled polyester fibre (from Wellman Inc.) for use in Synchilla fleece made from plastic soda bottles that diverted waste from landfills. Later, PCR filament yam was made for linings and shell fabrics from 30% to 50% post-consumer materials (bottles, polyester uniforms, tents and garments) with the remainder sourced from post-industrial waste. Clothes, at end of life, if constituted from one fibre type, can be recyclable. In theory, consumers may return a polyester garment to be forwarded to a processor to be re-made into fibre or downgraded to other forms of plastic. 

Last year, 100 million pounds of post-consumer plastic soft drink bottles were recycled in the U.S. — about 20 percent of all the PET in the bottle market. According to the Plastic Bottle Institute, by 1988, more than 230 million... 

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