Types of recyclable plastic packaging

Despite all publications against it, plastic packaging remains essential and part of our everyday lives. Wherever you look, you can find it in everything we consume and use. One of the great concerns today is related to packaging and the huge amount that ends up in nature, polluting ecosystems and detaching all kinds of toxic elements that pose a risk to our health. In this sense, recyclability of plastic packaging has emerged as an alternative, to solve part of the environmental problem that human being is generating. How to get recyclable plastic packaging is the challenge that a large part of the industry is facing nowadays.

To know how to recycle plastic bottles or other plastic packaging correctly and to achieve greater use of resources, it is key to know the types of recyclable plastic packaging that exist.

There are several types of containers, composed of different materials that are recycled to a greater or lesser extent and that are more or less easy to separate from the other components in the recycling process. Each of the types of recyclable plastic  packaging can be adapted to specific products or sectors.  Many of these sectors, such as industrial, chemical, cosmetic,  dermocosmetic  or agrochemical, are already aware of the need to demand these recyclable plastic packaging to further control their negative effect on nature and meet the expectations that more and more consumers have and that the legislation is imposing.

What are we going to read?

1. Situation in Spain
2. What types of recyclable plastic packaging are there?

Situation in Spain

Even though the use of plastic packaging is a globalice practice, according to the February 2024 report by the BBVA Foundation and IVIE, "Spanich recycling rates are still very low, as only 48% of total waste is recovered, compared to the EU-27 average of 58%. This results in a very modest circular material use rate that has even worsened over time , filing 3,3 percentage points from 10.4% in 2010 to 7.1% in 2022.

This means that even by putting all the means to produce recyclable plastic packaging that can be recovered and reused, the way end consumers act and the continuous wrong recycling they carry out means that the effects of plastic packaging can continue to cause negative effects on the environment.

It is not only worth separating what we consume in different containers, you need to know the types of recyclable plastic containers out there to recycle them properly. Many of these containers are mixed with other waste, making it very difficult and even impossible to recover. Others, however, are deposited in erroneous containers, and many plastics that are not considered packaging are left down together with recyclable plastic containers, creating a mixture of materials that make it impossible to get them recycled.

 The consequence of this chain of erroneous actions is that these mixed materials end up in landfills, incinerated or what is worst polluting or enviroment impossible to be recovered and any of these three options remains as harmful to both, health and the environment, as not recycling.

That is why many companies and sectors no longer only demand recyclable plastic packaging for their products, but also greater awareness and training of the population to make correct use of these packaging. Taking certain measures, such as reusing, recycling  properly or producing biodegradable packaging, are some of the solutions that could give way, at least in part, to the problem that Spain has with the recovery of these wastes.

You can read more on the following article:  Sustainable ECO packaging, all you need to know about

What types of recyclable plastic packaging are there?

Plastic packaginf is made with different materials and different technologies. Recyclable plastic containers are those that to a greater or lesser extent can be recovered and enter into the recycling streams already established, or streams that can be newly established in such a way that end up being used to produce new packaging.  Among the materials that can enter mechanical recycling streams we can find the following types:

• PET – this is one of the most recycled plastics in the world. We usually find it in the form of PET bottles, in sectors such as food, industrial, cosmetics, etc. It is characterized by being transparent, light, flexible and have good resistance to gases and moisture.  Its lightness is precisely what makes its transport more efficient and sustainable than that of other materials, and can be reused, although it can release toxins over time, so the best option is to recycle it.
• HDPE – this type of plastic is very resistant, is used for higher weight packaging, and for its good resistance to chemical corrosion is one of the most used for chemicals, agrochemicals and cleaning.
• PP – PP containers  are  easily  recyclable and resistant to heat, moisture and chemicals.

Recyclable  plastic containers can be used to create new packaging of chemicals, agrochemicals, detergents and the like if they have been recycled multiple times, while to pack food products, the material obtained must be certified as "food safe" Plastic containers with the letter O or number 7, on the other hand, are difficult to recycle as the materials that make up it are rarely known. It is essential to separate in order to facilitate recycling in management plants enabled for this purpose. But keep in mind that "separating, it's not recycling." It's just the first step of the gear on a circuit where WE ALL participate.

At Alcion Packaging Solutions we work for greater  sustainability, and constantly look for new formulas to produce recyclable plastic packaging with the best features to house all kinds of products. With materials such as PET or HDPE, we manufacture 100% recyclable packaging so you can protect your product safely and responsibly with the environment.