Petrocuyo is an active member of ECOPLAS
Ecoplas is a professional technical entity specialized in Plastics and Environment. It is conformed by professionals and technicians with solid experience in the study and assistance of plastic and environmental issues together with companies belonging to the Petrochemical Industry (manufacturer of plastic raw materials) and the Argentine Chamber of Plastic Industry (CAIP, for its acronyms in Spanish), raw materials distributors, which represents the processing Plastic Industry. Ecoplas has 25 years experience acquired by its former entities.
Its work fields are:
- Government: Cooperate with the authorities to develop new legislation that fosters sustainable practices.
- Education: Train urban recyclers, teachers, representers of different government areas and citizens of around the country to promote responsible habits of consumption, disposal and recycling of waste.
- Industry: Work proactively with the plastic industry, its clients and consumers in concrete actions for the application of the 4Rs (Reduce – Reuse- Recycle and Recover) and its integration towards a circular economy.
- Institutional: Benefit the recycling of plastic through Recyclable Plastic Certifications, Registered Trademark of Ecoplas for the separation of recyclable waste.
- Communication: Spread accurate information about the plastics and the environment through its own publications and through the media.
Source: ECOPLAS (http://ecoplas.org.ar/)
Polypropylene Recyclability
History of plastic
Since its origin, mankind has been using a variety of materials from the nature: stone, wood and metals.
Plastics in general are the newest members of this family of materials. They have been the result of inventions and discoveries and they come from natural resources such as oil, natural gas, coal and common salt.
In spite of the fact that a great industry has evolved around them, only 4% of produced crude oil is used for the production of plastics. Its constituent features allow for the recovery of its energy content in the industry.
Recycling
Recycling in the source:
Reducing the volume and weight of waste is the first step towards resolving the waste global problem. Every management of Solid Urban Waste must begin with the reduction in the source.*
Reduction in the source refers directly to the design and production of products, mainly containers, before consumption. It is a way of comprehending the products with a new environmental criterion: producing less waste. This is applicable to all raw materials: glass, paper, cardboard, aluminum and plastics.
In the case of plastics, reduction in the source is the responsibility of the petrochemical industry (manufacturer of different types of plastics), the processing industry (which takes those plastics so as to produce the different finished products) and the packers (in charge of designing the packaging).
Stages in the plastics recycling process:
A- Collection: Every differentiated collection system implemented rests on a fundamental principle: the separation of waste at home. That separation must be separated into two groups: organic and inorganic wastes. In the organic trash bag we should include food and gardening wastes. On the other hand, in the inorganic trash bag we should include metals, wood, plastics, glass and aluminium. Those trash bags will be placed on the street so as to be collected in a differentiated way, allowing them to be sent to the corresponding waste treatment points.
B- Recycling center: Compacted bundles of mixed plastic waste are stored outdoors. There are certain limitations for long-term storage under these conditions since UV radiation may affect the material structure. For that reason, it is not recommended to expose the material for more than three months.
C- Classification: after the reception of waste, it takes place the classification of the products according to the type of plastic and color. Although that can be made manually, automatic classification technologies have been developed and they are being used in developed countries. This process is facilitated if there exists a differentiated delivery of this material, which could be made with the support and promotion of local governments.
Source: Cristina Frers - Eco Portal.net
