"Technically, nearly all thermoplastic resins can be readily recycled. However, theory and actual practice may be in conflict in some instances. In general, for recycled plastics to be useful for new or identical applications, they need to be free of contaminants (dirt, moisture, and other solvents such as water, gasoline, oil, glycol)." http://www.plastics-car.com/PlasticsRecycling
"Plastic tanks are not recycled because there is no cost-effective recycling infrastructure. As a result, virtually all end up in landfills." http://www.sasft.org/en/Environment
"One type of unrecyclable plastic steadily growing in use is low density polyethylene (LDPE) agricultural plastic film. LDPE agricultural film is gaining in popularity as an alternative for more traditional methods of storage. It can be found in agricultural operations as silo bunker covers, silage bags, bale wrap, greenhouse covers, haylage covers, row covers, and mulch film." http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/agwaste.html
Q: Which polymers are recyclable, which aren't and why? What are the major factors that contribute to the cost of recycling polymers?
A: There are about 39 different types of basic plastics used to make an automobile today. About 75% of the plastic (by weight) is supplied by about 10 of these plastics. All the polymers are technically capable of being recycled; however, in the vast majority of cases, the cost to separate and clean each polymer costs much more than purchasing new virgin plastic.
Q: What is the collection infrastructure for end-of-life plastic car bumpers?
A: There is little infrastructure in place at the present time in the North America for the commercial recycling of plastics from end-of-life vehicle (ELV) car bumpers. http://www.plastics-car.com/PlasticsRecycling
"Unfortunately, while plastics marked #1 or #2 are generally considered to be recyclable, not all containers with those numbers actually are. The reason for this is that many plastics contain additives blended into the original resin, and the different additives create discrepancies even within each category. Every container in the grocery store is made with a unique blend of chemicals—plasticizers, molding agents, dyes—that combine to give a plastic its shape, color, strength, and flexibility (or lack thereof). As a result, they melt at varying temperatures and respond differently to new additives, and so they cannot all be melted down and recycled together to make a new product. As a result, most plastic, aside from the ubiquitous clear plastic bottle, cannot, generally speaking, be recycled by most municipalities. This problem applies to the #1s and #2s, as well as yogurt containers or hummus tubs, and Chinese-takeout containers, which are usually made from #5 plastic. (It also includes plastic bags and the frustratingly hard plastic packaging that your headphones came in, which don't even earn a recycling number.) But many people don’t know that, so they toss all of them in the blue bin, thereby reducing efficiency at the sorting plant, which is where your plastic goes when it's collected on recycling day." http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jul-aug/06-when-recycling-is-bad-for-the-environment
the plastics recycling sector, which has stressed that the production of recycled HDPE (rHDPE) is a “capital intensive” process, with few companies competing in a “tough market" “The reason the rHDPE market is where it is comes down to price. We have had meetings where we have shown the facts and figures and, basically, the high cost involved in the processing to create rHDPE. It is a cost intensive process and it is hard to make a margin on.” Food-grade plastic - both rHDPE and rPET - has become an area of increased interest for the plastics recycling sector as retailers seek to respond to consumer demand for greater levels of recycled content in packaging. However, despite an apparent willingness on behalf of the sector, the availability of quality feedstock and the cost of the labour-intensive production process have proved barriers to plastics recycling firms adopting the process.
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