Plastic recycling: all the benefits for the environment

Plastic is a versatile and useful material: recycling helps us to respect the environment and live better

Plastic is still one of the most widely used materials for an incredible variety of objects and industrial productions. Not least, as does Beschi, for the molding of plastics, for the production of plastic accessories for the textile industry. An industry, like many others, in which plastics are still among the most widely used.
This is because plastic has many different advantages that make it extremely versatile and perfect for multiple uses: it is light, durable, flexible and easily convertible, resistant to time and wear, and customizable.

And, above all, it is recyclable. Plastic recycling is a crucial process in waste management and environmental sustainability. This practice, which starts from the correct delivery by industry and private individuals, to arrive at the collection, separation and transformation of used plastic into new materials, has a significant positive impact on the reduction of pollution and sustainable use of resources.

This means that you do not have to produce new raw material every time, but use recycled raw material to reduce the environmental impact of your products. But let’s find out more about how plastic recycling works and what the benefits are.

How does plastic recycling work?

Every step of plastic recycling, from the selection of plastics to the processing and production of new products, requires constant effort and great care to ensure that the cycle works efficiently. This helps to preserve the ecosystem and promotes the adoption of healthy and sustainable habits, in a circular economy model.

Recent studies show that today in Europe we are able to recycle around 30-40% of the plastic we produce, with the rest going to incineration or landfill. There is still a lot of work to do, but in any case the Old Continent is definitely at the forefront in terms of recovery and reuse rates.

The plastic recycling process consists of several steps:

• separate collection and delivery to ecological islands, a fundamental stage because the better the collection and more efficient the entire recycling process will be.
• sorting: after the separate collection, the collected plastics are sent to recycling plants. Here special machines are used to select the waste, which is sorted according to its size. They are also separated into different types of plastic – for example, PET, PVC or PE. Having blocks of waste of the same size is crucial for the next step.
• milling: the selected waste – usually in cubes form – is sent to processing plants. Here they are divided again according to the type of product (caps, bottles, packaging…). This new division is necessary because different products and types of plastics may contain different additives.
• washing: at this stage, the collected plastics are washed from any dirt or other substances left over from separate collection.
• shredding: finally, the plastic waste is chopped to obtain plastic flakes, small particles which are again divided by colour. Then they are heated, cooled, and cut into small pieces.

The end result is plastic pellets that can be used as secondary raw material to produce new plastics.

Why recycling of plastic materials is in everyone’s interest: the benefits

Recycling of plastic materials is a practice that goes far beyond the simple and responsible disposal of waste. In addition to being a choice of ethical and civic responsibility, it entails a number of significant benefits for our planet and for us who live on it. The main positive effects of recycling include:

• less use of natural resources: using recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic reduces the need for new raw materials, with less waste of resources and less pressure on the environment;
• reduction of plastic waste. Proper separate collection and recycling helps to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and incineration – thus, less harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
• reduction of ocean pollution: recycling of plastic helps to reduce bad disposal practices and, in particular, the presence of plastic in the seas and oceans, so damaging to the ecosystem;
• reduced emissions: the plastic production process produces carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs…), which are released into the atmosphere at all stages of oil extraction and processing. Recycling plastic can produce secondary raw material for new applications, producing much less emissions than the “new” materials production process;
• energy saving: the process of producing virgin plastic also requires considerable amounts of energy. Using recycled plastic saves resources by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production;
• reduced dependence on fossil raw materials: by reducing the demand for virgin plastic, dependency on fossil raw materials such as oil is reduced;
• promoting sustainable practices: plastic recycling can raise awareness of the importance of responsible consumption and waste management. It helps to feed a “virtuous” chain that creates value and employment: encouraging recycling allows the creation of positive development models also at socio-economic level.

Beschi’s sustainable choices

Beschi has been manufacturing plastic products specifically designed for the textile industry for over 50 years. They are high quality products, designed to guarantee a final result that is durable in time and resistant to use.

The company wants to set a virtuous example of how plastic molding and the circular economy can be combined. Environmental and social sustainability is not only a fundamental pillar of the Beschi mission, but also a distinctive and relevant element of the business proposal.

Beschi’s commitment to the environment has been made concrete by making its products, processes and working environments more sustainable. All the plastic accessories produced are accompanied by technical data sheets that specify the type of material used in their manufacture, a fundamental information for proper disposal and recycling. In addition, the use of mono-material makes them 100% recyclable.

In addition, the “ECO” line of accessories for the textile industry was created, made entirely from 100% regenerated plastic and the “BLACK” line of tubes. The latter are obtained by injection moulding in bi-matter, which allows to obtain cheaper tubes without giving up colour, an essential element for the yarn that will be wound.

The adoption of the circular economy model in the production of plastic accessories for the textile industry is a significant step in this direction and Beschi wants to be at the forefront of this. The high quality of Beschi’s plastic textile products and accessories has always been at the heart of our business ethics. A varied, diversified and quality production, covering all the production needs, has made Beschi a reference point in the sector, also thanks to the choices of attention to the environment and sustainability.

If you would like more information about the services and products made by Beschi, please contact us. We will get back to you as soon as possible!