Euroshore recently contributed an article, “Recycling HDPE Products”, to Sustainable Citizenship, an online resource on sustainable living. We recognize our responsibility to help protect and respect our planet. We are committed to minimizing the impact our company has on the environment and supporting those who are working to improve environmental sustainability. The article is reproduced below.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE or PE-HD) is one of the most common types of plastic found in and around the home and workplace. This commodity plastic is a versatile material that is one of the easiest to recycle.
Common examples of HDPE uses and applications include:
1. Food preparation and packaging – Because the material can be easily sanitized, HDPE or PE sheets are commonly used to create surfaces for food preparation and service areas. This can include kitchen countertops as well as chopping or cutting boards.
2. Household and workplace items – Due to its versatility and low costs, HDPE material has vast applications across homes and the workplace. It is the material of choice when it comes to manufacturing items such as food and drink containers, household product bottles (shampoo, detergent etc), cooler boxes, pails, hard hats and more.
Identifying HDPE products for recycling
Resin identification or recycling codes are used to identify the material from which an item is made in order to facilitate easier recycling or other reprocessing. These codes can be found at the side or on the bottom of a product.
The code for HDPE is the number “2” and is usually accompanied by the lettering “HDPE” or “PE-HD”.
HDPE recycling: Doing your part
Recent studies by non-governmental organizations and community-based institutions have shown an overall decline in bottle recycling rates over the past few years. There has been an increase in efforts to raise awareness about the importance of reducing household waste through recycling.
The active introduction by local councils of waste segregation programs and awareness campaigns on the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle have seen many households showing a willingness to contribute and to this end, an excellent starting point is by recycling HDPE.
Why recycle HDPE?
HDPE is among the easiest plastic polymers to recycle; it is one of the most recycled plastics in the world. Not only is the material accepted at most recycling centres around the world – many recycling companies will collect your HDPE waste products and take these to large facilities to be processed.
As a thermoplastic, HDPE can be heated to melting point, cooled, and reheated again without significant degradation. Instead of burning, such thermoplastics liquefy, allowing them to be easily extruded or injection moulded and turned into brand new items or products.
Recycling HDPE has many benefits. HDPE, like many plastic polymers, is produced using considerable amounts of fossil fuels. The material is also non-biodegradable and can take up to hundreds of years to decompose. You can see why it is imperative that those bottles and containers are recycled and used again.
Cost-wise, it is often more economical to make a product from recycled HDPE than it is to manufacture ‘virgin’ or brand new plastic. Furthermore, many new items can efficiently be manufactured using recycled HDPE, such as ropes, toys, dustbins and more.
Conclusion
To recap, HDPE is 100% recyclable, so the material can be used over and over again. Reusing HDPE helps the environment, as this provides opportunities to integrate recycled material back into the supply chain – and we can all contribute towards this by being more diligent with our waste disposal habits.
