How Packaging can be Recycled

The waste caused by packaging is sometimes lamented, but the materials of most packaging can be recycled and reused, either for packaging once again or other purposes. There are three materials that are used for packaging more than any others; plastic, paper and cardboard.

Plastic

The problem with plastic is that it isn’t biodegradable so once produced it will stay around. The positive of it, though, is that it can be recycled into many things. It can be recycled many times over so it has many used beyond that of its origin.

For plastic to be recycled it must first be separated from the other parts of the packaging such as cardboard. There are many types of plastic and at a recycling plant it will be sorted into categories. Once a large amount of plastic has been collected together it can be compacted and baled. Eventually the masses of plastic that have been collected are ground into chips and washed so it is clean. Then it is dried and melted and small plastic pellets are formed that can then be used to make other products.

There are a wide variety of things that plastic can be made into. Recycled plastic can be used for garden furniture, children’s toys and containers. The small plastic pellets can also be good insulators used for home insulation and sleeping bag filler.

Paper

Waste paper is often used to make new paper, so it is actually being used for the same thing over and over. Recycled paper can be taken from three areas of paper making and usage. During the making of paper there are waste paper trimmings and these can be recycled. Then there is pre-consumer paper, the paper discarded so not used by consumers. Finally there is paper that has been used and thrown away. This is where paper used from packaging comes in.

Paper is a comparatively simple material to recycle. It is sorted and graded into different categories. Once this has been done it can be added to water which turns it into pulp. It must then be cleaned which includes the removal of any ink, and finally the usable pulp is turned back into paper.

Recycled paper can be used to produce newspapers, tissue and cardboard. Paper used for packaging is often later used by packaging suppliers once again.

Cardboard

Cardboard is the most used material in packaging but it can be recycled to be either used for more packaging or for other uses.

Just like with plastic and paper it is sorted into groups. It must then be cleaned. Similar to the recycling of paper it is mixed with water and turned into pulp. Once this has been done it can eventually be turned into items such as toilet paper and paper towels. It can also be shredded and used for a number of purposes such as animal bedding or insulation. There are even times when recycled paper is used for wood products.

People do sometimes talk about the waste caused by packaging. However, when used in the right ways it can be reused, therefore limiting the waste to the environment. There are many cases where packaging is recycled and used many times over.

Andrew Marshall (c)