Plastic bag recycling is more complicated than you might think. Just because the bags are made of plastic doesn’t mean they can be thrown into the recycling bin with all the other forms of plastic. Plastic bags and plastic film are different from other forms of plastic. Because the material so flexible, the plastic can wrap around the shafts and other equipment that parts of the sorting process. This can…
Plastic scrap recycling often involves the use injection molding waste. These parts are referred to as runners and sprues. Sprues and runner comprise the conduit that connects the machine nozzle to the machine cavities. During the injection phase of the molding cycle, the molten material flows through the sprue and runner to the cavities. These parts can be reground and mixed with new materials, primarily virgin resin. Creating what is…
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is most commonly known as a member of the polyester group of plastic polymers and the ingredient in all PET plastic products. It was first produced in the United States during the 1940s by chemists looking for a material that could be used to make new textile fibers and it originally gained recognition as a wrinkle-free fiber used for textile manufacturing. In the production phase, pellets of…
Recycling plastic grocery bags can be a problem. Many communities do not accept plastic bags in their curbside recycling set-ups. Unfortunately, many end up in landfills or as unsightly tree trash or simply gone with the wind. Though more of an inconvenience, you can still recycle plastic bags and keep them from cluttering up the environment. To begin, find out if your community’s curbside recycling program will accept plastics bags. If they…