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Why Don’t We Focus on Reusing Polymers Through Physical Recycling? ♻️

David Mattersdorfer
3 min readOct 6, 2024

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In the ongoing debate about plastics recycling, a puzzling trend has emerged. There is an intense focus on #ChemicalRecycling as the key to achieving a circular economy. While chemical recycling has its place, it’s disheartening to see the potential of #PhysicalRecycling methods being overlooked. This article explores why physical recycling is often disregarded and why it’s crucial for the future of polymer reuse.

The Basics: Physical vs. Chemical Processes in Plastic Recycling

Plastic recycling can be categorized into two main types: physical and chemical processes. Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Physical Process: No chemical change occurs, the change is reversible, and no new substances are formed. This process includes methods like sorting, grinding, sedimentation, flotation, and washing.

2. Chemical Process: The chemical composition changes, new substances form, and the change is irreversible. This process involves breaking down polymers into their basic chemical components.

The crucial question here is: why do we focus so much on destroying the polymeric material (chemical recycling) instead of separating it for reuse through physical separation methods? 🤔

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David Mattersdorfer
David Mattersdorfer

Written by David Mattersdorfer

Implementing Industrial Circularity ≫ madana.at | Managing Director | Lecturer | Entrepreneur

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