Intercontinental Executive Search’s Post

Since the 1950s, around 5 billion tons of plastic have gone to landfills, and recycling efforts have only tackled 9% of our production. Thankfully, a new method of plastic removal may be on the horizon. Researchers have developed a process that breaks down waste plastic into constituent parts. While it was expensive resource-wise at first, they've created an improved process that works on polyethylene, from which most plastic bags are made, and polypropylene, which is used to make harder objects. It relies only on catalysts considered so common that they are essentially “dirt.” #Plastic #Recycling #PlasticPollution

Since the 1950s, around 5 billion tons of plastic have gone to landfills, and recycling efforts have only tackled 9% of our production. Thankfully, a new method of plastic removal may be on the horizon. Researchers have developed a process that breaks down waste plastic into constituent parts. While it was expensive resource-wise at first, they've created an improved process that works on polyethylene, from which most plastic bags are made, and polypropylene, which is used to make harder objects. It relies only on catalysts considered so common that they are essentially “dirt.” #Plastic #Recycling #PlasticPollution https://lnkd.in/dSs9-rqT

In a recent New York Times article, investigative reporter Hiroko Tabuchi wrote that plastic recycling is coming up short: https://lnkd.in/gA2F4B5H However, we find this to be a very broad statement to make, given the article’s narrow peek into the polymer recycling space. The following notes and insights come from Chris Magnus, the President of Sunrise: ‘Although it’s true that chemical recycling technology has huge potential opportunities in the future, scalability is currently difficult due to the capital investment requirements needed at both the recycler and the petrochemical producer levels. While society waits for chemical recycling to mature, mechanical recycling is booming and proving (finally) to be a long-term, sustainable practice that is delivering reusable feedstocks to OEM users around the world with growing success.    Further evidence that plastic recycling is not coming up short is that petrochemical producers have all collectively established an international initiative named Operation Clean Sweep (OCS). OCS members endorse the removal of all loose pellets from the atmosphere and waterways within their plants and self-report progress to the consortium. Spilled polymers at petrochemical plants are then reprocessed into Renewed Polymers named Pre-Consumer Recycling (PIR) that can serve as recycled feedstocks.   While Tabuchi suggests that a better solution is to make less plastic, I would counter her statement by suggesting we use plastic more times – let’s focus on maximizing the utility of plastic. With plastic production forecasted to triple by 2050, the world needs more education about recycling and more infrastructure for efficient sorting. For example, how many people know that disposing of an empty water bottle without crushing it and with the cap on may render that bottle useless? The cap is usually polypropylene (PP), and the bottle is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Full bottles make transportation more costly, and many municipal sorting stations reject plastic items of mixed plastic grades. Education about sorting decisions at the point of use, building up collection infrastructure, and improved regulations would all serve to improve the future of plastic recycling. The plastic recycling industry has many layers with different timelines, so focusing on and criticizing only one small segment of a much larger initiative sends a disingenuous message to consumers and may threaten to discourage the momentum happening in the world today.’ – Chris Magnus, President of Sunrise Plastic #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #SustainablePlastic

Enlightening article from Interplas Insights written by Rebekah Jordan, looking at some of the top myths about recycling plastic. Nice to see some more common misconceptions, good and bad, being looked at, certainly worth a read: https://lnkd.in/eQ3t349K #recycling #plastics #plasticinjectionmolding

The cost of recycled plastic is dropping, making it an attractive option. However, a surge in virgin plastic production threatens to undercut this progress. Read below about the benefits of making recycled plastics our future. #circulareconomy #plasticpollution #PCRlegislation #sustainability https://lnkd.in/gXib7V6Z

🌟🔄 PE + PP = PO: Breaking Down Polyolefin Recycling in the Middle East 🔄🌟 In the world of plastics, #PE (Polyethylene) and #PP (Polypropylene) combine to create #PO (Polyolefin)—a material we encounter every day, from packaging to car parts. But did you know sorting them is key to efficient recycling? 🌍 Here’s how these plastics stack up by the numbers: 🔹 PE (Polyethylene): Known for its flexibility, PE is commonly used in plastic bags, packaging films, and bottles. The Middle East produces an estimated 3 million tons of PE waste annually, but efficient sorting could help recover more than 60% of this for recycling. 🔹 PP (Polypropylene): Tough and durable, PP is found in food containers, textiles, and automotive parts. PP accounts for 20% of global plastic production, and in the Middle East alone, around 1.5 million tons of PP waste is generated annually. Proper sorting could increase recycling rates by up to 50%. 🔄 The Equation: PE + PP = PO When PE and PP combine, they form Polyolefin (PO), a versatile material. Sorting PO back into its PE and PP components is critical for high-quality recycling. By doing this, we could recover up to 80% of recyclable materials from the millions of tons of PO produced in the region each year. ♻️ The Middle East generating around 5 million tons of plastic waste annually, improving PO sorting and recycling is essential for cutting down on landfill waste. This could contribute to saving thousands of tons of plastic from ending up in the environment each year, fueling the region’s progress toward a circular economy. By separating PE and PP, industries can not only reduce environmental waste but also create $2 billion in economic value by reintroducing these materials into packaging, automotive, and textile sectors. 💡Are you working on sorting PO? Let’s discuss how efficient recycling can make a real difference! Share your experiences and insights in the comments below. 🌱 #Recycling #PlasticWaste #MiddleEast #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #GreenFuture #waste_to_wealth #WasteManagement

🌟 Amazing news! In the U.S., North American reclaimers collected a whopping 93.7% of plastic for recycling in 2021, with only 6.3% being exported overseas. Despite a slight decrease in the overall amount of plastic recovered, U.S. reclaimers managed to acquire an additional 21.4 million pounds of U.S. post-consumer plastic. This brought the total amount collected by U.S. reclaimers to 4,307.8 million pounds, accounting for 85.9% of the total plastic recovered. Let's keep up the great work in recycling and reducing plastic waste! Check out more details here: https://hubs.la/Q02wQ6yK0. #industrial #manufacturing #manufacturingindustry #landfill #landfills #recycling #wastestream #wasteaudit #plastics #plasticsrecycling #paper #paperrecylcing

🌟 Amazing news! In the U.S., North American reclaimers collected a whopping 93.7% of plastic for recycling in 2021, with only 6.3% being exported overseas. Despite a slight decrease in the overall amount of plastic recovered, U.S. reclaimers managed to acquire an additional 21.4 million pounds of U.S. post-consumer plastic. This brought the total amount collected by U.S. reclaimers to 4,307.8 million pounds, accounting for 85.9% of the total plastic recovered. Let's keep up the great work in recycling and reducing plastic waste! Check out more details here: https://hubs.la/Q02wQbFY0. #industrial #manufacturing #manufacturingindustry #landfill #landfills #recycling #wastestream #wasteaudit #plastics #plasticsrecycling #paper #paperrecylcing

🌟 Amazing news! In the U.S., North American reclaimers collected a whopping 93.7% of plastic for recycling in 2021, with only 6.3% being exported overseas. Despite a slight decrease in the overall amount of plastic recovered, U.S. reclaimers managed to acquire an additional 21.4 million pounds of U.S. post-consumer plastic. This brought the total amount collected by U.S. reclaimers to 4,307.8 million pounds, accounting for 85.9% of the total plastic recovered. Let's keep up the great work in recycling and reducing plastic waste! Check out more details here: https://hubs.la/Q02C4lkR0. #industrial #manufacturing #manufacturingindustry #landfill #landfills #recycling #wastestream #wasteaudit #plastics #plasticsrecycling #paper #paperrecylcing

“Unlike paper, glass and metal, plastic is not easily, efficiently turned into new products. What passes for “recycling” plastic is costly, energy-intensive and toxic. On top of all that, the process requires the addition of a shocking amount of new virgin plastic — around 70 percent — to hold the newly formed plastic item together. As a result, only about 5 percent of plastic gets “recycled” (or, more accurately, “downcycled” into a product of inferior quality). Compare that with a 68 percent recycling rate for paper and cardboard.” “ I know. We’ve been told for decades that the answer to the plastic-waste crisis is more, better recycling: If only we sorted better! If only we had better access to recycling technologies! If only we washed and dried our plastics more adequately! This is all a smokescreen, designed to distract us from the truth that plastic recycling — if by “recycling” we mean converting a used material into a new material of similar value and function — is a myth.”