Before picking the best plastic recycling machines, you should know a few things. In general, there are two forms of plastic recycling: post-industrial and post-consumer. This post will explain the differences between recycling these two forms of plastic waste.

Plastic waste created during an industrial operation is considered “post-industrial plastic.” Inner reprocessing of post-industrial plastic is sometimes known as “in-house recycling” or “factory waste recycling.” Post-consumer recycling refers to plastic waste that has been recycled after consumers have used it.

Methods of Plastic Recycling Today and What’s Best For You

What is Post-Consumer Waste?

The term “post-consumer” refers to rubbish or waste “used by a consumer, disposed of, and removed from landfills.” Said it is constructed from recycled materials. This is frequently used in materials like paper or plastic bottles.

What is Post-Industrial Waste? 

Post-Industrial trash refers to industrial by-products that would otherwise be discarded, as well as waste formed after the conclusion of a manufacturing process. Still, it does not include the self-generated waste typically returned to industrial or manufacturing operations.

Main Differences Between Post-Industrial and Post-Consumer Plastic Recycling

1. Post-consumer plastic is a mix of various plastics that must be separated before recycling; however, when recycling post-industrial plastics, companies benefit from the fact that the incoming waste type is recognized and controllable.

2. Even post-consumer plastics separated into consistent classifications may vary in plastic composition due to the varying proportions utilized by various plastics product manufacturers.

3. Post-consumer plastics must be cleaned using a washing line, and the moisture content must be kept below a particular level for the output pellets to be utilized to manufacture new goods of acceptable quality.

Post-consumer recycling

Post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) are polymers reprocessed from home or commercial waste. Post-consumer plastic goods shut the loop by removing waste from landfills and enabling it to be repurposed into something else. Unfortunately, recycling post-consumer plastic is challenging. 

There are both financial and physical problems which include collection, cleaning, classifying, reprocessing, and distribution) (colour and grade irregularity, contamination. After the garbage is recovered, the plastic pellets are produced into various recycled goods based on their physical features.

Why is post-consumer waste better than post-industrial waste?

Because manufacturers have long been interested in recycling and repurposing scrap materials in various ways, post-consumer trash is preferred because it is less likely to wind up in a landfill than pre-consumer garbage. Some argue that pre-consumer recycled stuff isn’t genuinely recycled because the trash involved isn’t even rubbish. The environmental risks are higher with post-consumer trash since it is more likely to wind up cluttering a landfill if not properly recycled.

Both pre-and post-consumer recycled content items are superior to zero-recycled content products, but post-consumer recycled is the way to go if you want to be green.

Why Does It Matter to Us?

We care about post-industrial plastics because we recycle them. If you look around our website, you will note that we do not recycle household plastic items. We do not collect plastics that should be recycled in your municipal curbside recycling container. We actively pursue a pollution-free planet policy to turn plastic waste into reusable plastic products for the next generation. 

Our recycling system is not designed to take such kinds of plastics. These must be thoroughly sorted and cleaned before they can be recycled. On the other hand, post-industrial plastics may go directly from the warehouse to the recycling facility with little to nothing in between.

Conclusion

There are various aspects to consider when recycling post-industrial or post-consumer trash. Select the best machine for your material to remain competitive in the recycling market. Fortunately, CY Plastics has a wealth of expertise in handling post-industrial and post-consumer trash.

Our continued efforts, no matter how modest or huge will motivate businesses and individuals to take action to protect Mother Nature from pollution.