Post-Consumer Plastic Weights

To collect the high volume-to-weight ratio post-consumer plastics economically, truck-mounted compactors have been developed that seem to have the most promising future for mobile collection. They are self-contained and offer, on average, a reduction ratio of 10 1. Simple to operate, compactors accept all types of plastics, including film, and perform equally well with milk jugs and PET bottles as with mixed plastics. 

PRC. Post-Consumer Plastics Densities, Weights and Sizes. Plastics Recycling Compendium Information Resource No. 111/A. 1990a. 

PVC When finely ground and well homogenized PVC can be recycled on the ET-1. It can be mixed with other thermoplastics up to 50% by weight. Post-consumer plastic typically contains 5% PVC or less. 

The mechanically recycled plastic experiences several thermal cycles to the melting temperature that can reduce the molecular weight of the polymer and reduce its mechanical properties. Mechaiucal recycled plastics can have two forms recycled sources post-industrial or post-consumer plastics. Chemical recycling is possible for PET but not currently used in high volumes. 

Polystyrene (PS) is an important fraction of post-consumer plastic waste. PS and expanded polystyrene (EPS) are extensively used in packaging, hence PS recycling is important. The processing stability of EPS packaging material is shown in Fig. 12. Addition of a sterically hindered phenol, Irganox 245, to compacted EPS allows to maintain the average molecular weight of the polymer at a level sufficient for EPS-processes [16,17]. 

In 1997, Coca Cola introduced a high-barrier 12-oz PET/EVOH coinjection stretch blow molded bottle that was reported to double the shelf life of the beverage in hot and humid conditions. It also permitted the use of post-consumer PET content in the center layer of the container. In 1998, Miller test-marketed a five-layer PET bottle with a nylon barrier layer in several U.S. cities. Anheuser-Busch also test-marketed plastic beer bottles. In 2000, Miller introduced plastic PET beer bottles in the 16- and 20-oz sizes on a wide scale, becoming the first U.S. brewer to do so [5]. In 2014, MillerCoors expanded use of plastic bottles to the 32- and 40-oz sizes, reportedly reducing the weight of each bottle by 1 lb [6]. However, beer in plastic bottles remains rare. 

Altliough LDP12 is the primary constituent of plastic in MSW, litde film plastics (LDPE) recycling is done. Little data is available on post-consumer collection of LDPE. When LDPE is collected in recycling, it can be expected to comprise 25% by weight of the plastics collected. 

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