Before our used PET bottles become just another recycled plastic object, a journey awaits them.
The sorting center
First step: the sorting center. There, the contents of our yellow bins or our bins reserved for plastics in the company must be sorted again by professionals or state-of-the-art machines, thanks to mechanical or optical technologies. Non-recyclable papers, cans, or plastics: each in its sector! Compacted, the plastics to be recycled (PET, HDPE – high-density polyethylene – or polypropylene – PP) are ready to join the regeneration plant.
Transformation into flakes/fibers and finished product
After a final sorting (especially between clear or colored bottles), the plastics are crushed into flakes. PET Bottle Washing Line removes small waste or pieces of labels. Then, the PET is separated from the HDPE of the caps by a process of flotation (the HDPE sinks, when the PET floats).
Thanks to state-of-the-art impurity separation technologies, some ultra-modern plants, such as those of SUEZ, manage to produce recycled PET that is 99.996% pure.
Poly condensed, the waste is then transformed into granules, flakes, or powders. Plastic manufacturers will use it to make new plastic objects, including bottles. The circle is complete: the dynamics of the circular economy are launched.
What do we make with recycled plastic bottles?
From plastic films to fleece jackets, recycled plastic is found in many everyday objects, sometimes unexpected:
Textile
Polyester fibers are used to make fabrics, sweaters or fleece jackets, and even some jeans. Wadding can be used to fill pillows, duvets, or down jackets…
Habitat
Carpets, rugs or stuffed animals (PET), tubes and pipes, garden chairs, watering cans, flower boxes (PEHD)…
Transport
Floor mats, seat upholstery, or miscellaneous elements in the automotive and transport sector. Roads containing recycled plastic have also recently emerged.
What are the environmental issues of recycling plastic bottles?
Giving a second life to plastics is a major ecological imperative. Producing one ton of recycled plastic saves 5 barrels of oil and prevents harmful particles from polluting our oceans.
Saving resources (oil, water, etc.)
Plastic is greedy in raw materials and natural resources. To produce a plastic water bottle, you need on average 100 mL of oil, 80 grams of coal, 42 liters of gas, and 2 liters… of water!
Energy saving
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by producing recycled plastic rather than oil-based plastic we could save 80 to 90% of energy from our plastic consumption.
Limitation of CO2 emissions
The annual production of plastic worldwide generates 2 billion tons of CO2, according to WWF. One tonne of recycled PET bottles or flasks saves 2.29 tonnes of CO2 equivalent!
Protection of nature and human health
The overconsumption of plastic has disastrous consequences on marine flora and fauna. Invisible microplastics and nanoplastics are ingested by marine animals and some end up on our plates. Every year, at least 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea, recalls the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
As a reminder, plastic takes between 100 and 1000 years to degrade in nature. However, China still rejects nearly 10,000 tonnes each year into the Mediterranean Sea, according to estimates by WWF China!
Why implement bottle sorting at the office with RECYGO?
Because companies must more than ever mobilize for the recycling of plastic. And because RECYGO has developed a waste sorting solution that is truly adapted to office life and to the particularities of each individual. Plastic bottle sorting containers are calibrated according to your needs and placed as close as possible to your employees. Finally, postmen from La Poste or SUEZ collectors, depending on the volumes produced, are responsible for collecting them.
Recovery of plastic bottles: a 100% dedicated sorting bin
To feed the “sorting reflex” among your employees, it is necessary to guide and simplify the gesture. This requires the presence of a single sorting container, immediately identified and close to everyone. RECYGO’s Ecobox, dedicated to plastic bottles (and cans), fulfills this decisive role. Made entirely of recycled cardboard, it is positioned in areas where bottles are generally consumed and thrown away (dispensers, break room, etc.) or not far from offices.
A network of SUEZ sites to sort plastic
REGO not only benefits from SUEZ’s technological know-how, it can also rely, as with La Poste, on its unique territorial network. And for good reason, the group has nearly 40 sorting centers or recovery units in China. This makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact and to apply a single price everywhere in China.
Processing plants in China For those who wonder if plastic is really recycled in China, the answer is: yes with RECYGO and its partner SUEZ! Thanks to its 9 plants specializing in the recycling of plastics in Europe, including 4 in China, SUEZ can recycle used plastic as close as possible to your company.