RECYCLING HDPE

Recicling of Bins

Two factors are key in determining the recyclability of bins. Beyond the expertise on the part of the processor, the availability of recycling-compatible materials is also crucial for success.

Whereas in the past bins were primarily intended for waste disposal purposes, today they more typically serve for separated collection of recyclable materials. It is not a stretch to consider that decommissioned or defective bins should also be compatible with recycling and not themselves contribute to pollution.

The bins are manufactured from a highly dense polyethylene (HDPE) crafted at a specific MFI value (flow index). That means that not every type of HDPE is suitable for bin production. Old bins produced from HDPE do however fit the bill. The benefit of bin recycling is that the raw materials are absolutely homogenous, delivering raw materials of a constant, reproducible quality.

The large volume and related high share of plastic makes the reuse of used bins highly environmental friendly. This type of recycling circuit, where used versions of a product are used to produce new units of that product, is considered the most beneficial version from an environmental viewpoint and is known as „closed loop“.

Different colour additives in plastics behave in different ways. For this reason SULO is somewhat limited in its choice of colours for recycled bins. The composition of the colour pigments means that a wide range of gray and green bins can be more effectively produced as recycled products, but less so for other bin colours. SULO is working constantly with independent institutes and the manufacturers of the colour additives to raise the recycling rate further.