The following is a list of some of the plastics we recycle:
PET: Polyethylene terephthalate
PET is used as a raw material for making packaging materials such as bottles and containers for packaging a wide range of food products and other consumer goods. Examples include soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products and edible oils. PET is one of the most common consumer plastics used.
Is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. It is one of the most important raw materials used in man-made fibers.
PET can be semi-rigid to rigid, depending on its thickness, and is very lightweight. It makes a good gas and fair moisture barrier, as well as a good barrier to alcohol and solvents. It is strong and impact-resistant. It is naturally colorless and transparent. PET bottles are excellent barrier materials and are widely used for soft drinks.
While all thermoplastics are technically recyclable, PET bottle recycling is more practical than many other plastic applications, mainly because plastic carbonated soft drink bottles and water bottles are almost exclusively PET which makes them more easily identifiable in a recycle stream. PET is an excellent candidate for thermal recycling as it is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with only trace amounts of catalyst elements and has the energy content of soft coal.
HDPE: High-density polyethylene
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum.
High Density Polyethylene offers superior corrosion resistance, a high working temperature range, and high tensile strength. This material outperforms low density polyethylene in physical and chemical properties, but is less flexible than low density polyethylene.
DPE is resistant to many different solvents and has a wide variety of applications, including: Containers (Tupperware, Laundry detergent bottles, Milk cartons, Fuel tanks for vehicles), Plastic bags, Containment of certain chemicals, Chemical-resistant piping systems, Geothermal heat transfer piping systems, Natural gas distribution pipe systems, Water pipes for domestic water supply, Coax cable inner insulators, Corrosion Protection for Steel Pipelines, Snowboard rails / boxes, Bottles suitable for use as refillable bottles.
PVC: Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplastic polymer. In terms of revenue generated, it is one of the most valuable products of the chemical industry. Globally, over 50% of PVC manufactured is used in construction. As a building material, PVC is cheap and easy to assemble. In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional building materials such as wood, concrete and clay in many areas. Despite appearing to be an ideal building material, concerns were raised about the costs of PVC to the natural environment and human health.
There are many uses for PVC. As a hard plastic, it is used as vinyl siding, magnetic stripe cards, window profiles, gramophone records (which is the source of the name for vinyl records), pipe, plumbing and conduit fixtures. The material is often used in Plastic Pressure Pipe Systems for pipelines in the water and sewer industries because of its inexpensive nature and flexibility. PVC pipe plumbing is typically white, as opposed to ABS, which is commonly available in grey as well as white.
It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being phthalates. In this form, it is used in clothing and upholstery, and to make flexible hoses and tubing, flooring, to roofing membranes, and electrical cable insulation.
LDPE: Low density polyethylene
Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is used predominantly in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility, and relative transparency. LDPE has a low melting point, making it popular for use in applications where heat sealing is necessary.
Typically, LDPE is used to manufacture flexible films such as those used for plastic retail bags and garment dry cleaning and grocery bags. LDPE is also used to manufacture some flexible lids and bottles, and it is widely used in wire and cable applications for its stable electrical properties and processing characteristics.
LDPE is widely used for manufacturing various containers, dispensing bottles, wash bottles, tubing, plastic bags for computer components, and various molded laboratory equipment. Its most common use is in plastic bags.
Other products made from it include: Trays & general purpose containers, Food storage and laboratory containers, Corrosion-resistant work surfaces, Parts that need to be weldable and machinable, Parts that require flexibility, for which it serves very well, Very soft and pliable parts, Six-pack soda can rings, Extrusion coating on paperboard and aluminum laminated for beverage cartons, Computer components, such as hard drives, screen cards and disk-drives,
Low Density Polyethylene offers good corrosion resistance and low moisture permeability. It can be used in applications where corrosion resistance is a factor, but stiffness, high temperatures, and structural strength are not. It can be easily fabricated, vacuum formed, and welded. This material is an economical option for many applications requiring low temperature flexibility, toughness and durability. It is resistant to stress-cracking and has wide acceptability in transporting water and chemicals.
PP: Polypropylene
Polypropylene or polypropene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including food packaging, ropes, textiles, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes.
Polypropylene is a versatile polymer. It serves double duty, both as a plastic and as a fiber. As a plastic it's used to make things like dishwasher-safe food containers. It can do this because it doesn't melt below 320oF. As a fiber, polypropylene is used to make indoor-outdoor carpeting, the kind that you always find around swimming pools and miniature golf courses. It works well for outdoor carpet because it is easy to make colored polypropylene, and because polypropylene doesn't absorb water, like nylon does.
PS: Polystyrene
Polystyrene is a strong plastic created from erethylene and benzine that can be injected, extruded or blow molded, making it a very useful and versatile manufacturing material. Most of us recognize styrofoam a form of foam polystyrene packaging. Polystyrene is also used as a building material, with electrical appliances (light switches and plates), and in other household items. At room temperature, polystyrene is normally a solid thermoplastic, but can be melted at higher temperature for molding or extrusion, then resolidified. Styrene is an aromatic monomer, and polystyrene is an aromatic polymer.
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