What are polyethylene waste, their processing and disposal. Recycling plastic bags: from collection to recycled plastic How to fold plastic bags compactly

The packages owe their existence to refined oil and natural gas.
They are highly durable, but also biodegradable. Not even 60 years have passed since the invention and popularization of the first bags, which means that none of them has yet undergone absolute biological decay in natural conditions.
Household packages that have lost their consumer properties and ended up in the natural environment create sustainable pollution of the entire ecosystem. When they are heated and burned, harmful substances are released that are toxic to the entire ecological system.
The plastic bag can be recycled in an industrial environment, only separated from the contents.

Plastic bags.

Cellophane is a transparent fat and waterproof material made from viscose.
The environmental safety of cellophane is due to the high rate of its biological decomposition and the absence of plasticizers in the composition, and the glycerin contained in the composition is harmless to living organisms and, in general, to the environment. These qualities of cellophane revives interest in this type of packaging - when separated from dyes and impurities, it is completely processed by microorganisms and secondary processing is possible.

Oxo biodegradable bags.

In their production, the same polymer raw materials (crushed plastic bottles - flex PET) are used as in the manufacture of plastic bags, but with the addition of degraders. Additives artificially accelerate the process of biodegradation in the environment into carbon, water, trace elements and biomass under the influence of temperature, ultraviolet and oxygen. The decomposition period of oxo-biodegradable packaging is 1-3 years.
Impurities that reduce mechanical strength and contribute to the rapid decay of plastic make it impossible to recycle it in its pure form.

Hydro-biodegradable bags.

The basis for their manufacture are food crops - vegetable polymers obtained from food highly starchy crops such as beets, corn, wheat. They are distinguished by high environmental friendliness at all stages of operation, but low strength indicators and high resource costs in production.
The process of complete biological decomposition into carbon and water in 30-70 days, as a result of decomposition, biomass (compost) is formed.
A T-shirt type package is made from natural material; garbage bags and packing bags.

Paper bags. Kraft paper bags.

The raw material for their production is wood or waste paper. They have a short service life, thereby increasing their quantitative consumption and production costs for electricity and water.
The ideal scheme for optimizing production and environmental costs involves the integrated responsibility of the manufacturer and the buyer. Several recycling of one paper bag is possible - wood is used to produce packaging material, which after the expiration date is recycled back into packaging.
At the same time, waste paper is recycled with lower energy costs, and paper, having completed its consumer cycle, decomposes in the soil by microorganisms.

Reusable polyester bags.

Sewn from synthetic artificial material obtained from polymeric recycled waste (secondary plastic). Completely eliminate the need to purchase plastic bags. With daily use, one such bag will last from three to five years and replace several thousand bags.
Polyester products are included in the list of materials approved by the State Sanitary Inspection of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for contact with food products, they are non-toxic when burned and decomposed.
Polyester bags are recommended for recycling.

Textile bags.

They are made from plant fibers - jute, cotton, flax, bamboo or recycled materials.
Eco-bags have become not just impersonal shopping containers, but an independent part of the wardrobe.
After completing their cycle of consumption, bags decompose into non-toxic substances.

Each of us is capable of improving the situation with the environment, we just need to be careful about our own garbage and throw it into separate MSW containers.

Most types of plastics do not decompose in nature or decompose extremely slowly - over hundreds and thousands of years. Therefore, by the 1970s, the world faced the problem of environmental pollution with plastic waste - and, accordingly, the issue of recycling such waste. It soon became clear that the recycling of plastic waste itself can be a business with a fairly attractive level of marginality.

Today in Belarus there are about 100 organizations that process plastic waste. As a result of processing, prepared secondary raw materials (crushed grain, granules, flakes according to plastic grades) are obtained for the further production of new plastic products and packaging.

The following types of plastic waste are industrially processed in Belarus:

packaging labeled PET, PETE, HDPE, LDPE, PE, PP. These are plastic bottles for milk, oil, vinegar, beer, containers for shower gels and shampoos, other cosmetics, household chemicals;
plastic bags and film;
plastic basins, buckets;
handles without rods, rulers;
plastic woven bags, etc.

The demand for "secondary" plastic is quite high, and this has led to the fact that companies that are engaged in the processing of plastic waste are no longer satisfied with household and industrial waste, but are buying unnecessary plastic - primarily plastic (PET) bottles.

According to the State Institution "Operator of Secondary Material Resources", in each district of Minsk there are several points for receiving PET bottles. You can choose the nearest stationary collection point for plastic bottles by clicking on this link. The mode of operation and the cost of delivery of a kilogram of plastic waste are also indicated there.

Important point: at the reception point, you must bring at least a kilogram of plastic bottles, otherwise they will not be accepted. If you need to dispose of only one or two bottles, then it is easier to throw them in the trash, observing certain conditions:

used PET bottles should be disposed of in conspicuous yellow containers that are intended for separate collection of recyclables;
plastic bottles can be thrown into containers labeled "plastic, glass, paper", "plastic, paper" or "plastic, paper, metal".

In addition to PET bottles from drinks, you can throw away in containers for separate waste collection:

bottles from vegetable oil, vinegar, dairy products;
plastic packaging for shampoo, hairspray, shower gels and other cosmetics;
packaging from household chemicals, various detergents;
plastic bags, food packaging containers;
bread bags, milk bags, jars of yogurt, kefir;
plastic household items (buckets, basins, etc.);
plastic parts, cases of household appliances.

However, there are a number of packages that should not be thrown into plastic containers. This list includes Tetra Pak, toothpaste tubes, bags of mayonnaise, chips, tea. These packages contain not only degradable plastic, but also metal, which must be disposed of separately. Therefore, throw away tubes and packages of chips in a common container - this garbage will be buried in a landfill.

It is already impossible to imagine the modern world without plastic products. About a third of all plastic products today are made from polyethylene. Along with the obvious benefits of its use, the search for effective ways of processing and utilizing this polymer remains an urgent problem.

Polyethylene (accepted abbreviations - PET, PE) is a thermoplastic polymer that is widely used to create a huge number of goods. Its use began in the 20th century: since the 30s it has been used in the production of telephone cables, since the 50s - as packaging in the food industry.

Today the list of PET products is huge:

packaging film, bags, garbage bags;
scotch;
all kinds of containers: bottles, jars, boxes, canisters, containers, flower pots, etc.;
pipes for sewerage and gas supply;
electrical insulation, thermal insulation;
accumulators, containers for liquid and solid chemicals;
various types of fencing, etc.

Depending on the technologies, polyethylene of various types and performance properties is obtained and used in modern industry, for example:

high pressure or low density (abbr. -, LDPE, LDPE - a more plastic type of polyethylene, used for the production of film, cable);
low pressure or high density (abbr. - HDPE, HDPE - has a more rigid and durable structure);
polyethylene terephthalate (abbr. - PET, PET, PETE - used only for the production of disposable goods), etc.

What is polyethylene of different density, and what types of packaging are made from it

Manufacturing process of plastic bags

The main types of polyethylene waste and where they come from

The popularity and mass consumption of PE lead to the fact that every day a huge number of used items from it fall into the category of waste:

Polyethylene household products. This includes packaging film, bags, bottles, bottles and canisters from household chemicals, waste blisters from medicines and other items used by a person in everyday life. All this is thrown into ordinary garbage containers for MSW (solid household waste) every day. According to various estimates, the share of polyethylene in MSW is about ten percent of the total volume.
PE industrial waste. This, again, is packaging film, all kinds of bags, plastic packaging waste from stores (for example, food boxes), pipes, worn cable braids, etc.
Technological marriage at the enterprises for the production of PE products. Its volume can reach up to ten percent of all raw materials produced.

Polyethylene products are cheap and convenient. The most significant "disadvantage" of any type of plastic is the long period of natural decomposition of waste.

According to preliminary estimates by ecologists, the decay time of a polyethylene film or bottle in wildlife is from one hundred to two hundred years. This makes the threat of the death of all living things under tons of plastic garbage very real in the near future.

Where to take PET waste?

The bulk of household polyethylene waste ends up in ordinary garbage - containers for solid waste, located in the yards of residential buildings. A significant disadvantage of this disposal method is the heavy contamination of PET with food residues, chemicals, dirt, liquids, etc. In the future, the total mass of garbage will need to be sorted, and the plastic itself will require additional cleaning.

Important! An excellent solution today is to sort household waste already at the time of its disposal, when plastic items are put into specially designated storage bins.

Unfortunately, while this method, which is very popular in European countries, takes root in Russia with difficulty:

such containers are not yet available in every yard and not even in every settlement;
there is no working penal system for violating the sorting rules, and as a result, even with such “distributors”, other types of garbage often end up in the plastic tank.

You can hand over PET waste:

For enterprises directly involved in the processing of PET waste, if they accept them themselves.
Recycling points operating in every city - they accept waste paper, scrap metal, plastic, etc. Payment for the delivery of plastic will be cheap, but in this way you will make your contribution to the preservation of the environment.

What products are made from recycled polyethylene?

The raw materials obtained as a result of recycling plastics are a cheap and high-quality material for the manufacture of a huge number of new useful goods:

waste with a short period of use - bottles, disposable containers and packaging - are successfully processed into similar products;
granules of secondary raw materials serve as an additive to primary polyethylene, for example, in the production of pressure pipes or large volume containers;
blown bottles, canisters for food products and household chemicals are used for the subsequent production of drainage pipes, wood-polymer composites (picket fence, decking, garden parquet, etc. are made from them);
film waste from household waste, as well as used film for agricultural purposes, is usually processed into granules for future injection molding products;
multilayer films as well as cable waste can only be recycled as additives for other pellets, etc.

Depending on the type of PE product, as well as the area where it was used, the methods and equipment used for its recycling will differ significantly.

Recycling of PET products

What does the production of polyethylene waste processing consist of? The full cycle will include several main stages:

Recycling polyethylene at home

Today, the possibility of recycling polyethylene at home occupies many inquisitive minds. For example, there are already developed methods for safe self-incineration of PET containers, proposed by researchers working in the field of ecology.

But there is an alternative view: when burning or even melting plastic, substances harmful to humans and nature are released into the atmosphere. Therefore, self-burning or recycling of polyethylene waste is prohibited; such work can only be carried out by special enterprises with the appropriate license.

PET recycling

Speaking of recycling, today they often mean plastic recycling processes, when recyclable materials get a “new life” and are used to re-manufacture products.

Sometimes recycling refers to an alternative to recycling - the physical destruction of waste plastics or their storage in landfills and landfills. Since burning plastic is prohibited, other, more environmentally friendly methods are used to destroy it.

From the point of view of preserving the environment, it is highly effective, for example, - the thermal decomposition of plastics at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment.

However, a huge amount of plastic waste still ends up just in city landfills.

PET waste recycling is a promising direction in the economy, which is also supported by environmentalists. As technology advances, recycling of plastic waste is becoming cheaper for the manufacturer, while at the same time ridding the planet of excess plastic, which is difficult to decompose in natural conditions. The environmental risks that arise during the recycling process cannot be compared with the problems that humanity will face in the near future, as there are more and more garbage dumps every year.

Plastic bags are made from the same substance as all plastic: oil.

Oil materials and products have two main disadvantages: significant amounts of pollution are released during production, and the product is not biodegradable.

In other words, it is difficult to produce and almost impossible to get rid of once produced.

According to the Natural Environment website, between 60 million and 100 million barrels of oil is required to produce plastic bags per year worldwide, and it will take about 400 years for them to completely decompose.

Therefore, plastic bags are best recycled.

The recycling symbol (three closed arrows) is found on most plastic products, but is often a marketing gimmick.

Many packages built by factories cannot be recycled. Most of them end up in landfills. to lie there for the next hundreds of years.

There are, however, biodegradable packages, but in this topic, too, not everything is clear. Is it true that they decompose in nature, or is this another trick to increase sales, we figured it out.

Plastic is a strong, lightweight and cheap material. It can be easily molded into a wide range of products.

Production and use of plastic bags increased over the past 10 years.

Therefore, their reuse, recovery and recycling are extremely important.

You can recycle packages made from:

polyethylene;
cellophane;
other polymers.

Polyethylene

Recycling of polyethylene is important because in most cases it is not biodegradable and can accumulate in landfills for decades. At the same time, the processing of polyethylene is quite easy to implement.

Due to the composition of the waste plastic can be melted to a liquid state.

As it hardens, it is reshaped or extruded, making the material reusable.

Therefore, the recycling of plastic bags can lead to the creation of new, durable products that also are cost effective and environmentally friendly.

Recyclable polyethylene includes bags:

for shopping;
from under milk, kefir, etc.;
for garbage;
all types of thin and very soft bags are made of low density polyethylene.

Cellophane

Generally, cellophane is not recyclable, although it can be considered scientifically recyclable.

The plastic bag decomposes naturally (because it is not plastic). Therefore, for disposal, it is better to put it in compost.

In the production of cellophane use carbon disulfide and sulfuric acid which may cause contamination.

Therefore, it is necessary to limit burst packets and make the most of each.

Products from other polymers

From films used to make plastic bags, the most common four polymers:

High density polyethylene (HDPE).
Medium density polyethylene (MDPE).
Low density polyethylene (LDPE).
Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

The vast majority of grocery shopping bags are made from HDPE.

Characteristics of HDPE:

moderate opacity;
tendency to bruises;
high strength;
lack of ability to stretch.

High-density polyethylene bags tear easily, but because of their strength, they are well suited for use as grocery bags, clothing, and packaging.

PESP resins are less opaque than HDPE, but not as transparent as LDPE.

Bags made from PESP do not stretch and do not have high strength.

PESP is used in consumer packaging for paper products such as paper towels and toilet paper, etc.

LDPE is used to make bags with moderate tensile and strength properties and a high degree of transparency.

LLDPE is slightly thinner than LDPE and has an elastic consistency.

This material usually feels tacky and is used as a stretch film.

All these raw materials are recycled in waste disposal factories. More durable plastic is not recyclable because the material clogs sorting equipment at processing facilities, which leads to its breakdown or stoppage.

Processing technology and equipment

The simplest of the plastic bag recycling processes includes the processes:

collection;
sorting;
grinding;
flushing;
swimming trunks;
granulation.

Manufacturing processes vary depending on the composition or type plastic.

Most processing plants operate in two phases:

Automatic plastic sorting or manual sorting to eliminate all contaminants from the plastic waste stream.
Melting the plastic directly into a new shape or grinding it into flakes, then melting it before final processing into pellets.

For recycling plastic bags the following equipment is involved:

sorting plant;
plastic injection molding machines;
extrusion machines
installations for blow and vacuum molding;
molding and thermoforming equipment;
other equipment depending on the level of production.

Disposal of packages at home

Besides that plastic bags reusable and reusable in the kitchen, at home and in the garden, they can also be recycled at home. The result is the desired durable plastic sheets for crafts and further use.

To do this, you need accumulated plastic bags (at least 100 pieces), ordinary parchment for baking, an iron and scissors, and an oven.

The bags must be pre-washed and dried. It is better to use HDPE bags, and color and patterns don't matter.

Having cut off the handles, the bottom and cutting the side, we add the resulting rectangles in layers. The layer should consist of no more than 5 packages.

On a heat-resistant surface (plywood, OSB) we place a large sheet of parchment, fold the first 5 bags on top and lay another sheet of parchment.

iron iron sheets at medium temperature starting from the middle towards the edges. If the sheets are poorly fused, then we increase the temperature, if holes appear, we reduce it.

Having chosen the desired temperature, we iron the remaining stacks of sheets.

Next comes the adhesion of five-layer sheets to each other. We also iron the first two five-layer sheets, but at a higher temperature. On the resulting we impose the next five-layer soldering and iron it again.

Sheets must be added to the thickness you need, applying to different sides of the soldered stack (i.e., it is better to turn over).

The sheets are quite dense, so already a five-layer soldering can be applied anywhere you want.

But for better sheets they need bake in the oven:

Place on a baking sheet parchment.
We lay out a multilayer briquette on parchment.
Cover with a sheet of parchment.
Place a baking sheet on top as well.
Place on the top tray a couple of bricks for weighting.
Put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C.
We take it out and wait until it cools down, without removing the bricks.
When cool, check the edges of the polyethylene. They must be uniform.. If not, place in the oven at a higher temperature up to 230 ° C.
For the received briquettes trim the edges.
We use recycled polyethylene.

Conclusion

The goal of plastic bag recycling is to reduce plastic pollution rates while reducing the cost of purchasing start-up materials for the manufacture of new plastic products.

This approach helps to save energy and frees the environment from plastic bag pollution, and reusing polyethylene at home will save on the cost of buying some things and materials.

In contact with

In certain industries, a huge amount of used plastic bags accumulate, which should not be thrown into the trash at all. The RusMak company accepts plastic bags for processing in any volume. Thanks to our company, the accepted plastic bag gets a second life in the form of various products, such as:

tight bags or film;
watering cans, flower pots or plastic utensils;
plastic parts for various accessories.

Favorable admission conditions

A huge number of plastic bags accumulate not only at home, but also in large shopping centers, small shops and various departments that are directly related to the plastic packaging of goods. The bags thrown into the garbage pollute the environment with very harmful substances, so everyone can take part in saving the soil from toxins. Our company is ready to buy polyethylene on favorable terms for you. In this case, the price of admission depends on the following factors:

weight of plastic bags;
degree of purity;
sorting waste into certain types.

The RusMak company is ready to offer its own transport for the independent removal of plastic waste and bags.