Recycling plastic bags: from collection to recycled plastic. Plastic bags and film Recycling of polyethylene bags

Plastic bags and film

Additional Information:

Types of plastic bags and films.

• polyethylene(marking 02, HDPE, HDPE and 04, LDPE): polyethylene comes in high and low density (low and high pressure, respectively). If there is no marking, then you can distinguish one material from another as follows: thin rustling packaging bags and most of the “T-shirt” bags are 02. Soft, oily bags, greenhouse, stretch and bubble film are 04.
• polypropylene(marking 05, PP, PP): most often this packaging is shiny and “crispy”, easily torn, and does not stretch. Cereals, pasta, bread, cookies, etc. are packaged in polypropylene. Opaque wrappers from chocolate bars are also PP with added dye; such packaging is more difficult to recycle, so it is not accepted everywhere.
• combined plastic(marking type C/xx or 07/other)
• biodegradable And pseudo biodegradable
• polyvinyl chloride(PVC, PVC, 03)

Where can I recycle plastic bags?

We do not accept all types of packages. See our instructions for the exact current list!

• bags: packaging, T-shirts, ziplock, for shopping
• film: bubble, greenhouse, stretch
• spandbond bags
• "sugar" bags and similar bags, bags
• foamed polyethylene
• with markings:

02, HDPE, PVD, C/02, C/HDPE
04, LDPE, HDPE, C/04, C/LDPE

How to return bags and film?

1. independently to the collection point of the Collector
2. order a Collector
3. at the rallies of our movement, from which we take it to the Collector’s warehouse

We do not accept for processing from individuals:

• “biodegradable” plastic;
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC/PVC/03);
• plastic 07.

On this site we collect bit by bit information on where to donate rare types of recyclables and things. We keep the data up-to-date and check reception points if they cause you mistrust.

Most of our activities are supported by volunteers, but in order to structure information, monitor its updates and maintain the operation of the site, the daily work of a content manager is needed. Please, so that we can continue to provide up-to-date information for you!

It is no longer possible to imagine the modern world without plastic products. About a third of all plastic products today are made from polyethylene. Along with the obvious benefits of its use, an urgent problem remains the search for effective ways to process and utilize this polymer.

Polyethylene (accepted abbreviations - PET, PE) is a thermoplastic polymer that is widely used to create a huge number of products. Its use began in the 20th century: from the 30s it began to be used in the production of telephone cables, and from the 50s - as packaging in the food industry.

Today the list of PET products is huge:

• packaging film, bags, garbage bags;
• scotch;
• all kinds of packaging: bottles, cans, boxes, cans, containers, flower pots, etc.;
• pipes for sewerage and gas supply;
• electrical insulation, thermal insulation;
• storage devices, containers for liquid and solid chemicals;
• various types of fencing, etc.

Depending on the technology, modern industry produces and uses polyethylene of different types and performance properties, for example:

• high pressure or low density (abbr. - LDPE, LDPE - a more plastic type of polyethylene, used for the production of film and cable);
• low pressure or high density (abbr. - HDPE, HDPE - has a more rigid and durable structure);
• polyethylene terephthalate (abbr. - PET, PET, PETE - used only for the production of disposable goods), etc.

What is polyethylene of different densities, and what types of packaging are made from it?

Process of making plastic bags

Main types of polyethylene waste and where they come from

The popularity and mass consumption of PE lead to the fact that every day a huge number of used items made from it fall into the waste category:

1. Polyethylene products for household use. This may include packaging film, bags, bottles, vials and canisters of household chemicals, waste from medicine blisters and other items used by humans in everyday life. All this is thrown out every day into regular garbage containers for MSW (solid waste). According to various estimates, the share of polyethylene in solid waste is about ten percent of the total volume.
2. PE industrial waste. This, again, is packaging film, all kinds of bags, waste plastic containers from stores (for example, food boxes), pipes, worn cable braids, etc.
3. Technological defects at enterprises producing PE products. Its volume can reach up to ten percent of all produced raw materials.

Polyethylene products are cheap and convenient. The most significant “disadvantage” of any type of plastic is the long period of natural decomposition of waste.

According to preliminary estimates by ecologists, the decay period of a plastic film or bottle in wildlife is from one hundred to two hundred years. This makes the threat of the death of all living things under tons of plastic waste very real in the near future.

Where can I take PET waste?

The bulk of household polyethylene waste ends up in ordinary garbage - solid waste containers located in the courtyards of residential buildings. A significant disadvantage of this disposal method is the severe contamination of PET with food debris, chemicals, dirt, liquids, etc. In the future, the total mass of waste will need to be sorted, and the plastic itself will require additional cleaning.

Important! An excellent solution today is to sort household waste at the moment of throwing it away, when plastic items are placed in specially designated storage areas.

Unfortunately, this method, which is very popular in European countries, is having difficulty taking root in Russia:

1. Such containers are not yet available in every yard or even in every locality;
2. There is no working fine system for violating sorting rules, and as a result, even with such “distributors”, other types of waste often end up in the plastic bin.

You can donate PET waste:

1. To enterprises directly involved in processing PET waste, if they accept it themselves.
2. Recycling collection points operating in every city accept waste paper, scrap metal, plastic, etc. The fee for handing over plastic will be a pittance, but in this way you will make your contribution to preserving the environment.

What products are made from recycled polyethylene?

The raw materials obtained from the recycling of plastics are cheap and high-quality materials for the manufacture of a huge number of new useful products:

• waste with a short shelf life - bottles, disposable containers and packaging - are successfully recycled into similar products;
• Recycled granules serve as an additive to virgin polyethylene, for example, in the production of pressure pipes or large-volume containers;
• blown bottles, cans for food products and household chemicals are used for the subsequent production of drainage pipes, wood-polymer composites (they are used to make picket fences, decking boards, garden parquet, etc.);
• film waste from household waste, as well as used agricultural film, is usually processed into pellets for future injection molding products;
• Multilayer films as well as cable waste can only be recycled as additives for other granules, etc.

Depending on the type of PE product, as well as the area where it was used, the methods and equipment used for its recycling will vary significantly.

Recycling of PET products

What does the production of polyethylene waste recycling consist of? The full cycle will include several main stages:

Recycling polyethylene at home

Today, the possibility of recycling polyethylene at home occupies many inquisitive minds. For example, there are already developed methods for independent safe combustion of PET containers, proposed by scientists working in the field of ecology.

But there is an alternative view: when plastic is burned or even melted, substances harmful to humans and nature are released into the atmosphere. Therefore, independent burning or recycling of polyethylene waste is prohibited; such work can only be carried out by special enterprises with the appropriate license.

PET recycling

When talking about recycling, today we often mean plastic recycling processes, when recyclable materials are given a “new life” and used to re-manufacture products.

Sometimes recycling refers to an alternative to recycling - the physical destruction of plastic waste or its storage in landfills and landfills. Since burning plastic is prohibited, other, more environmentally friendly methods are used to destroy it.

From the point of view of preserving the environment, it is highly effective, for example, the thermal decomposition of plastics at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment.

However, a huge amount of plastic waste still ends up in city landfills.

Recycling PET waste is a promising direction in the economy, which is also supported by environmentalists. With the development of technology, recycling plastic waste becomes cheaper for the manufacturer, while at the same time making it possible to rid the planet of excess plastic, which is difficult to decompose in natural conditions. The environmental risks arising during the recycling process cannot be compared with the problems that humanity will face in the near future, since there are more and more landfills every year.

Most types of plastics do not decompose in nature or decompose extremely slowly - over hundreds and thousands of years. Therefore, by the 1970s, the world had already faced the problem of environmental pollution with plastic waste - and, accordingly, the issue of recycling such waste. It soon became clear that recycling plastic waste could be a business in itself with a fairly attractive margin level.

Today in Belarus there are about 100 organizations processing plastic waste. As a result of processing, prepared secondary raw materials are obtained (crushed, granules, flakes according to plastic brands) for the further production of new plastic products and packaging.

The following types of plastic waste are industrially processed in Belarus:

• packaging with PET, PETE, HDPE, LDPE, PE, PP symbols. These are plastic bottles for milk, oil, vinegar, beer, containers for shower gels and shampoos, other cosmetics, household chemicals;
• plastic bags and film;
• plastic basins, buckets;
• pens without rods, rulers;
• plastic woven bags, etc.

The demand for “recycled” plastic is quite high, and this has led to the fact that companies that process plastic waste are no longer satisfied with household and industrial waste, but buy unnecessary plastic - primarily plastic (PET) bottles.

According to the State Institution “Operator of Secondary Material Resources”, there are several collection points for PET bottles in each district of Minsk. You can select the nearest stationary collection point for plastic bottles by following this link. The operating hours and cost of delivering a kilogram of plastic waste are also indicated there.

Important point: You must bring at least a kilogram of plastic bottles to the collection point, otherwise they will not be accepted. If you only need to dispose of one or two bottles, then it is easier to throw them in the trash, observing certain conditions:

• used PET bottles should be disposed of in visible yellow containers intended for separate collection of recyclables;
• Plastic bottles can be disposed of in containers labeled “plastic, glass, paper,” “plastic, paper,” or “plastic, paper, metal.”

In addition to PET drink bottles, the following can be thrown into separate waste collection containers:

• bottles for vegetable oil, vinegar, dairy products;
• plastic packaging for shampoo, hairspray, shower gels and other cosmetics;
• packaging for household chemicals, various detergents;
• plastic bags, containers for food packaging;
• bread bags, milk bags, jars of yogurt, kefir;
• household items made of plastic (buckets, basins, etc.);
• plastic parts, housings of household appliances.

However, there are a number of packages that should not be thrown into plastic containers. This list includes Tetra Pak, toothpaste tubes, mayonnaise, chips, and tea packets. Such packages contain not only degradable plastic, but also metal, which must be disposed of separately. Therefore, throw away tubes and packages of chips in a common container - this garbage will be buried in a landfill.

In certain industries, huge amounts of used plastic bags accumulate, which should not be thrown into the trash. The RusMak company accepts plastic bags for recycling in any volume. Thanks to our company, the accepted plastic bag gets a second life in the form of various products, such as:

• dense bags or film;
• watering cans, flower pots or plastic dishes;
• plastic parts for various accessories.

Favorable admission conditions

A huge number of plastic bags accumulate not only in our homes, but also in large shopping centers, small stores and various departments that are directly related to plastic packaging of goods. Bags thrown into the trash pollute the environment with very harmful substances, so everyone can take part in saving the soil from toxins. Our company is ready to buy polyethylene on favorable terms for you. The price of admission depends on the following factors:

• weight of plastic bags;
• degree of purity;
• sorting waste into specific types.

The RusMak company is ready to offer its own transport for self-removal of plastic waste and bags.

Plastic bags are made from the same substance that makes all plastic: petroleum.

Petroleum materials and products have two main disadvantages: Manufacturing produces significant amounts of pollution and the product is not biodegradable.

In other words, it is difficult to produce and almost impossible to get rid of once produced.

According to the Natural Environment website, it takes between 60 and 100 million barrels of oil to produce plastic bags in a year worldwide, and it will take about 400 years for them to fully decompose.

Therefore, it is better to recycle plastic bags.

The recycling symbol (three closed arrows) is found on most plastic products, but this is often a marketing gimmick.

Many bags collected by factories cannot be recycled. Most of them end up in landfills to lie there for the next hundreds of years.

There are, however, biodegradable packages, but not everything is clear on this topic either. Whether they really decompose in nature, or is this just another trick to increase sales, we figured it out.

Plastic is a durable, lightweight and cheap material. It can be easily molded into a variety of widely available products.

Production and use of plastic bags has increased over the past 10 years.

Therefore, their reuse, recovery and recycling are extremely important.

Bags made from:

• polyethylene;
• cellophane;
• other polymers.

Polyethylene

Recycling polyethylene is important because in most cases it is non-biodegradable and may accumulate in landfills for decades. At the same time, recycling polyethylene is quite easy to carry out.

Due to its composition, waste plastic can be melted to a liquid state.

As it hardens, it is reconstructed or extruded, making the material reusable.

Therefore, recycling plastic bags can lead to the creation of new, durable products that also are cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Recyclable polyethylene bags include:

• for shopping;
• from milk, kefir, etc.;
• for garbage;
• All types of thin and very soft bags are made from low-density polyethylene.

Cellophane

Typically, cellophane is not recycled, although it can be considered a recyclable material from a scientific point of view.

The cellophane bag biodegrades naturally (since it is not plastic). Therefore, for disposal it is better to place it in compost.

In the production of cellophane use carbon disulfide and sulfuric acid which may cause pollution.

Therefore, it is necessary to limit packet emission and make the most of each one.

Products made from other polymers

From films used to make plastic bags, the most common four polymers:

1. High density polyethylene (HDPE).
2. Medium density polyethylene (MDPE).
3. Low density polyethylene (LDPE).
4. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

The vast majority of grocery bags are made from HDPE.

Characteristics of HDPE:

• moderate opacity;
• tendency to bruises;
• high strength;
• lack of ability to stretch.

High-density polyethylene bags tear easily, but due to their strength, they are well suited for use as grocery bags, clothing, and packaging.

HDPE resins are less opaque than HDPE, but not as transparent as low-density polyethylene.

Bags made from PESP do not stretch and do not have high strength.

PESP is used in consumer packaging for paper products such as paper towels and toilet paper, etc.

LDPE is used for the manufacture of bags with moderate tensile and strength properties and a high degree of transparency.

LLDPE is slightly thinner than LDPE and has an elastic consistency.

This material usually appears sticky and is used as a stretch film.

All these raw materials are processed at waste recycling factories. More durable plastic cannot be recycled because the material clogs sorting equipment at processing facilities, which leads to its breakdown or shutdown.

Processing technology and equipment

The simplest process for recycling plastic bags includes the processes:

• collection;
• sorting;
• grinding;
• washing;
• swimming trunks;
• granulation.

Production processes vary depending on composition or type plastic.

Most processing plants operate in two stages:

1. Automatic or manual plastic sorting to eliminate all contaminants from the plastic waste stream.
2. Melting plastic directly into a new shape or grinding into flakes, then melting before final processing into pellets.

For recycling plastic bags the following equipment is involved:

• sorting plant;
• plastic injection molding machines;
• extrusion machines
• installations for blow and vacuum molding;
• molding and thermoforming equipment;
• other equipment depending on the level of production.

Recycling bags at home

Besides the fact that plastic bags reusable and reusable in the kitchen, at home and in the garden, they can also be recycled at home. The result will be the necessary durable sheets of plastic for crafts and further use.

To do this, you need accumulated plastic bags (at least 100 pieces), regular baking parchment, an iron and scissors, and an oven.

The bags must be pre-washed and dried. It is better to use HDPE bags, and colors and designs don't matter.

Having cut off the handles, the bottom and the side, we fold the resulting rectangles in layers. A layer should consist of no more than 5 packets.

Place a large sheet of parchment on a heat-resistant surface (plywood, OSB), fold the first 5 bags on top and lay another sheet of parchment.

Iron iron sheets at medium temperature, starting from the middle to the edges. If the sheets are poorly fused, then increase the temperature, if holes appear, reduce it.

Having chosen the desired temperature, iron the remaining stacks of sheets.

Next comes the soldering of the five-layer sheets to each other. We also iron the first two five-layer sheets, but at a higher temperature. We apply the next five-layer solder onto the result and iron it again.

Sheets must be added to the thickness you need, applying them to different sides of the welded stack (i.e. it is better to turn them over).

The sheets turn out to be quite dense, so there is already a five-layer soldering can be used anywhere you want.

But for higher quality sheets you need them bake in the oven:

1. Place on a baking sheet parchment.
2. Place a multi-layer briquette on parchment.
3. Cover with a sheet of parchment.
4. Place a baking sheet on top as well.
5. Place on the top baking sheet a couple of bricks for weight.
6. Place this in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C.
7. We take it out and wait until it cools down without removing the bricks.
8. When it cools down, check the edges of the polyethylene. They must be homogeneous. If not, place in the oven at a higher temperature of up to 230 ° C.
9. The resulting briquettes trim the edges.
10. We use recycled polyethylene.

Video on the topic

We invite you to watch a video about recycling plastic bags:

Conclusion

The goal of recycling plastic bags is to reduce plastic pollution while reducing the cost of purchasing starting materials for the production of new plastic products.

This approach helps save energy and frees the environment from pollution from plastic bags, and reusing polyethylene at home will save the cost of purchasing some items and materials.

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