The Problem of Plastic Recycling 

            While many of us still dutifully place our recyclable items in our separate bins and proudly pull them to the curb or transfer station, faith in the current recycling system may be both misplaced and fading. A recent study found that when asked what percent of all plastic produced had been recycled, participants thought the figure was around 25% while most estimates in fact state that only 9% of all plastic produced has been recycled. Many cite systemic issues within the recycling process as the cause behind the lack of recycling. This primarily stems from the way that plastics are recycled, the types of plastics produced, and the capacity for the existing recycling infrastructure to process these materials.

            The most commonly recycled plastic types, PET and HDPE, are often able to be broken down into pellets which can then be used in the manufacturing of products such as textiles and bottles. However, the rates of PET recycling in the U.S. remain under 35% and HDPE recycling rates are around 30%. Other types of plastics, such as PVC, LDPE, and PP are very rarely able to be recycled and are quite costly to do so when able. This has resulted in a very inefficient system of plastic recycling where much of the plastic produced ends up in landfills and the natural environment.

            Plastic recycling in action often follows the simple cycle of first sorting, then breaking down products of the same plastic type into small pellets, which can then be used to form new products. However, this process relies heavily on having substantial quantities of the same types of plastics as well as the infrastructure to process these specific plastics (most commonly consisting of the polymers PE, PP, and PET). While household sorting exists as a first step to separating plastic types, mechanical sorting provides a more detailed and intricate level of separation. However, even this has its limits particularly in concern to layered plastics which contain several types of plastics attached adhesively such as plastic-lined paper coffee cups rendering them non-recyclable. Steps to addressing this bottleneck in plastic recycling may include increasing awareness of which types and how plastics are able to be recycled. Creating a market and therefore value for post-consumer plastics further encourages plastic recycling from the ease of consumer practice to cradle-to-cradle product design.

            Our design for a circular plastic economy is driven from the need for a solution to this plastic crisis. Creating products that use this post-consumer plastic waste while creating facilities and systems that promote easy access for recycling and producer-responsible waste management, allows for a full circle solution that focuses on a sustainable use for plastic waste.