Not All Plastic Recycling Is Created Equal

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The word “recycling” over the years has become a buzzword for everything that has to do with going green and saving the planet.  And no material has created as much buzz – and bad press – as plastic.  But a conversation about recycling plastics often ends up with creating as much confusion and controversy as it does resolution. That’s because  all “cycling’s” are not created equal.Recycling, in its strictest definition, is about reclaiming the materials from item X and then produce another item X from them. An example of this is the recycling of engine oil. Used engine oil can be filtered and distilled to create new engine oil of the same quality. Oil doesn’t really wear out it seems, it just gets dirty.

Unfortunately plastic can’t be recycled so easily. Until recently plastic, if recycled, was shredded and downcycled into end of life products. But in the U.S. only 20 percent of plastic bottles ever see the recycling bin. Most bottles end up in the landfill.

Even when recycled, the quality of the recycled plastic was often inferior to the original product and expensive to create. For example, when PET plastic is heated in the molding process, it typically loses about 20 percent to 30 percent of its structural properties. PET plastic is most commonly used for single use bottled beverages including water.

The Lavergne Group has altered the engine of recycling plastic.  Instead of shredding the plastic and process it into a standard extruder, it blends and compounds it into a unique extrusion machine.  But that’s only part of it.  Lavergne has developed a “secret potion,” a mix of additives, when mixed with recycled plastic bottles and other plastics can bring the recycled products back to the same level of performance as the original product.  In partnership with HP, Lavergne helps manufacture HP ink cartridges that contain 75 percent recycled content. HP just recently announced it manufactured its 1 billionth recycled ink cartridge, using Lavergne’s closed loop process.

Instead of downcycling the ink cartridges into low end applications such as plastic lumber or non critical application it can now go back to its original parts or even specialized auto parts.  Lavergne Group’s closed loop recycling process can upcycle many plastic products, especially with the recycling labels 1, 2 and 5, into a new product of equal or greater value, like chairs, hangers, and snow shovels,

Instead of sending plastic from the manufacturing plant to home/business to landfill, Lavergne is helping manufacturers not just postpone but sustain the life of its product content.  Since HP Planet Partners program began in 1991, no HP print cartridges returned through the Planet Partners program are sent to landfill. More than 198 million HP LaserJet and HP inkjet print cartridge materials have been returned and recycled worldwide, representing a weight greater than 297 million lbs.

Many of those savings came before Lavergne and HP partnered on the closed loop process.  Just imagine how much less plastic waste will be sent to the landfill when the loop is closed for more plastic products.

Comments

5 Responses to “Not All Plastic Recycling Is Created Equal”

1. polycarbonate sheets says:

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   thank you for this wonderful avenue to recycle plastic. as a early childhood educator, i’m always looking at ways to educate the young minds on how to care for our earth. i’m a believer that starting and teaching recycling at a young age can increase the lifetime commitment and follow through. It’s another means of the ripple affect.
   thank you Kasen for your knowledge and sharing what you know.
   on behalf of our future

   Reply
   • tania says:

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     The Lavergne Group is pleased to hear you enjoyed our blog. We are always happy to hear you are a strong believer of recycling. Thank you

     Reply
2. High Waist Shorts says:

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3. Zella Flath says:

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4. Annalisa Riff says:

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