Recycled Plastics and PVC Alternatives

 Recycled plastics

Recycled plastics (referred to as secondary polymers) typically produce lower overall air and water emissions than the emissions created from the production of the primary plastics from raw petroleum. How much less the emissions (and ecological impacts) are depends on the plastic type, transportation and the degree of cleaning and processing needed in the process. As any purchaser will tell you, identifying a supplier of recycled plastics is not a simple process. Finding the quality and reliable supply at the price point requires work and negotiation. These sites are a place to begin.  

http://www.plasticsrecycling.org
The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers represents businesses committed to the recycling of North American post-consumer plastics through technology focused education and market development.

http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/
The Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has a plethora of information on what, where, why, and how to recycle and what to use that is recycled products.

http://www.greenbiz.com
Greenbiz describes the dos and don’ts of packaging design when using recycled products.

http://www.theplastiki.com
Plastiki is dedicated to everything plastic, and the ways in which we can reuse all forms of plastic.

http://www.itsrecycled.com
Its Recycled offers recycled plastic products for sale.

http://www.sound-goods.org
Sounds good provides relevant information to fabrics made from recycled plastics

http://ecologycenter.org/ptf/misconceptions.html
The Ecology Center addresses common misconceptions relating to recycled plastics and provides links to product specific uses of recycled plastics

http://www.solidwastedistrict.com/information/stats.htm
Solid Waste District provides statistical information on recycling and plastic recycling programs in the US.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
Daily Green describes the meanings of symbols on recyclable plastics.

http://www.mbapolymers.com/about.htm
MBA Polymers is a source of recycled plastics.

http://www.macraesbluebook.com/
Macrae’s bluebook lists many recycled plastic providers.

http://www.lotfi.net/
This paper thoroughly and accurately describes the the recycling and recyclability of plastics.

http://www.vikoz.com/home.html
Vikoz’ “Nationwide Plastic Recycling”, buys and sells recycled plastic materials; it also includes general information about the real world of plastic recycling.

http://www.thomasnet.com/
Thomas.net has a large listing of various recycled plastic suppliers,  locations and web sites.

http://ecobusinesslinks.com/recycled_plastic.htm
Eco-business provides a digital connection between manufacturers and designers. This link connects the two ends of the business through eco-friendly based solutions.

http://www.hempplastic.com
Hemp Plastics describes the benefits of hemp based plastics.

http://www.teamburg.de/bioplastics/index.php
Teamburg boasts about the benefits of switching to corn-based plastics.

http://www.icis.com/
Icis provides information on the prices of plastics and identifies suppliers.  

http://www.gipo-rpi.com/
RPI gives links to purchase reprocessed plastics and information about their products.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/17/affresol-makes-modular-homes-out-of-recycled-plastic/
Inhabitat demonstrates many uses for plastic.

http://www.greenmuze.com/build/design/2546-recycled-plastic-island-.html
Greenmuze is visually stimulating.

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-types-of-plastics-can-be-recycled.htm
Wisegeek gives information about which plastics can and cannot be recycled.

http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm
Wasteonline gives information on plastics and explains many of the advantages of recycling.

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Recycling/Problem-With-Plastics5jun03.htm
Mindfully.org talks about some of the disadvantages associated with recycling plastic.

http://www.gipo-rpi.com/
Gipo sells all kinds of recycled material.

http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/recycleplastics.htm
Environment About describes how to recycle various plastics.

http://importer.alibaba.com/Recycled_Plastic-importer.html
Alibaba offers recycled plastic worldwide.

http://www.fuzing.com/qrx/recycled-plastic-pellets
Recycled plastic pellets can be found at fuzing.com in a variety of types.

http://www.indianapolymers.com/about-plastic-suppliers.asp
IP Indiana polymers sell recycled plastic resin through this user-friendly website.

http://www.apcrecycling.com/home.html
APCRecycling explains how they that recycle plastics in North America.

http://www.ci.redding.ca.us/solwaste/r_plastics.htm
The Solid Waste pages of Redding, California offer statistics about plastic recycling.

http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm
Waste Online describes the recycling of different types of plastics.

http://www.genmill.com/plastic.html
Genmill explores why we recycled them various types of plastic.  

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/plastics.htm
The EPA clearly explains the benefits of recycling plastics and offers helpful links.

http://www.engineerlive.com/
Engineer Live associates plastic recycling with economic and environmental benefits.

http://www.plasticsmarkets.org/
Plastics Markets provides a service for connecting suppliers and buyers of scrap plastics.

http://www.recycle.net/Plastic/products/index.html
Recycle.net allows users to post buy/sell/trade recycled materials and products.

http://www.rptinc.net
“Recycled Plastic Technology, inc.” buys and sells used plastics.

http://www.plasticsnews.com/resin-pricing/recycled-plastics.html
Plastics news gives up to date commodity prices for many recycled plastics.

http://earth911.com/recycling/plastic/plastic-bottle-recycling-facts/
Earth 911 offers factual information and statistics pertinent to recycling rates; focuses on plastic.

cbot-recycle.com/indexst.html
The Chicago Board of Trade provides a recyclables exchange dedicated to the international trade of recyclable commodities.

http://grn.com
Global Recycling Network's Internet Recycling Business Center is a free-access public site dedicated to recycling-related information.

www.isri.org
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries' Commodities Report is published 24 times a year and focuses on a single scrap commodity in each issue.

www.recycle.net/recycle/index.html
Recycler's World is a free worldwide information exchange to buy, sell, or trade recyclable commodities, and used materials. Price information is available.

http://grn.com/grn/prices/rm-prices.htm
Recycling Manager publishes free-access U.S. prices and commodity market summaries. Prices are based on volumes delivered in each market area.

http://wasteage.com/Recycling_And_Processing/
Waste Age publisher of publications that focus on the solid waste/recycling markets industry.

www.plasticsnews.com/subscriber/resin/price3.html
Plastics News lists the national average price of various types of recycled engineering thermoplastics!

www.plasticsresource.com/s_plasticsresource/index.asp
Plastics resource offers directories and exchanges of recycled plastics.

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/plastic.htm
The US Environmental Protection Agency covers many topics on recycled plastics.

www.smile-plastics.co.uk/
Smile Plastics (UK) is sources and develops innovative ideas and markets for recycled materials, concentrating on transforming plastics waste into multicolored sheets.

Sources for Recycled Intermediate Thermoplastics (ABS, ASA, SAN, PMMA)

www.acencorp.com/english/products/product.asp?product_id=368
Acencorp is a Korean company offering a range of recycled polymers.

www.ecoplastcorp.com
Ecoplast Corporation is a California company providing post consumer recycling and processing of plastic materials and the markets recycled resin to end use manufacturers.

www.unitedplasticrecycling.com
United Plastics is an Alabama company specializing in post industrial and post consumer plastics.

www.destiny-plastics.com/
Destiny Plastics is a Michigan company that recycles and upgrades industrial plastic scrap.

www.pro-poly.com/page3.html
Pro Poly is a North Carolina company offering a wide range of recycled polymers.

http://interplastics.de/
C & E Interplastics in Germany, sells virgin quality, surplus, and redundant lots, reprocessed and recycled qualities, industrial qualities, regrinds and scrap.

www.gemapolimer.com/
GemaPolimer in Turkey buys, sells, and recycles plastic resins in regrind, recycled, and off-spec.


Sources for Recycled Engineering Thermoplastics (LQP, PA, PC, PBT, POM, PPE, PPO, PSU)

www.plastics.org.nz/page.asp?id=585
This New Zealand site covers each plastic's characteristics, applications and recycling.

www.sonepa.nl/
SONEPA Plastics from the Netherlands offers a comprehensive range of thermoplastics. They buy, sell, and recycle plastics, rubbers and additives; all types of high quality plastics, rubber materials.

www.theglobalserve.com/
Global Serve in Singapore is a plastic and silicone rubber scrap recycling company. It processes PVC and Silicone Rubber scraps in their recycling facilities in China and Sri Lanka.

www.csiplastics.com/
CSIPLASTICS is a Massachusetts company that trades and recycles virgin, off-grade, reprocessed and scrap plastic and fluoropolymers.


Sources for recycled commodity thermoplastics (LDPE, HDPE, PP, HIPS)

www.yemmhart.com/
Yemm & Hart in Missouri are manufacturers of colorful recycled content polymers (mostly PE). The site contains specifications and color charts.

www.polychem-usa.com/
Polychem is a large polymer recycler in Massachusetts.

http://chemiplas.com/
Chemiplas is a Texas-based manufacturer with a contact-only site.  Their products are bought and sold tin the U. S., Latin America and the Far East.

www.tipco-india.com/business.htm
Tipco is a plastic recycler based in India.

www.cawalker.co.uk/
C.A. Walker, UK, specializes in the recycling of plastic materials; they buy, reprocess, and sell post manufacturing and post consumer plastics, however they ship in UK only.

www.gopolymers.com/
Go Polymers is a broker of secondary plastics in Washington State. They sell scrap and regrind.

www.bataplastics.com/
Bata Plastics is a family owned company in Michigan that buys and sells recycled plastics.

www.abcpolymers.com/company/compinfo.htm
ABC Plastics is a Georgia based plastic reprocessing corporation.  They offer scrap preparation and processing and reprocessing of post consumer plastics.

www.adamsplastics.com/
Adams Plastics of Chicago distributes various plastic for labels, printing, heat-sealing, and sewing, made of PVC, PP & PE.

www.abcpolymers.com/
ABC Polymers in Georgia offers closed loop thermoplastic recycling.

Sources for Recycled Thermoset Plastics or Composites (epoxy, melamine, phenolic, polyester, urea) Thermoset plastics are like cake – once processed they are solid and cannot be melted back into pure recycled plastic (like thermoplastic plastics can). Hence they can be “recycled” as filler – typically no more than 30% by weight.

www.lord.com/
LORD Worldwide is a North Carolina company with worldwide manufacturing capabilities and sales representatives that allow for in-time, cost-effective local production.

http://khalidsh.ec51.com/
This Pakistani company manufactures and exports recycled polyester staple fiber world-wide.

www.ilnorplex.com/
Ilnorplex of Iowa provides composite materials.

Sources for Recycled Elastomers (EPDM, SPE, SBS, SIS, SEBS, TPU, TPO, SB, CR, SR, IIR, NBR, NR, PU)

www.regupol.com/sitemap.htm
This Pennsylvania and German manufacturer offers high quality recycled rubber flooring and matting.

www.lavergneusa.com/english/our_mission.html
Lavergne Group in Quebec offers quality plastic materials based on post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics.

www.rubber-resources.com/
Rubber Resources produces, markets and sells butyl rubber reclaim, natural rubber reclaim, and rubber powders, with facilities in Belgium and South Africa.

www.softerspa.com/
So.F.Ter. is an Italian producer supplying a wide range of polymer alloys and thermoplastic polymers.


PVC Alternatives
Most environmentalists frown upon polyvinyl chloride (PVC), primarily because if it is burned below 800 degrees C and in the presence of other hydrocarbons, it produces dioxin, one of the most toxic substances ever studied. The primary uses of PVC in products are in cable and wire coverings, packaging (including many disposable medical products), and architectural applications such as windows, pipes and house siding.

http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/alternatives.html
The Health Building online resource collects reports, guides, databases and charts offering PVC alternatives.

http://www.pvcinformation.org/
A group of U.S. based environmental health groups compiled these links on PVC hazards, disposal, products and alternatives developed by consortium of environmental health groups.

http://www.kraton.com/Applications/Medical/PVC_Alternatives/
Kraton Polymers offers alternatives to PVC for medical applications.

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/36516.aspx
Brighthub discusses an alternative to the ubiquitous vinyl shower curtains.

http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/pvcdatabase/productalt.html
This basic Greenpeace “PVC Alternatives Database” outlines alternative materials to PVC for use in construction and electronic cable coverings.

www.greenaction.org/healthybuildings/index.shtml
Greenaction documents alternatives to PVC for building materials, health hazards of PVC and its manufacturing, use, and disposal, status of phasing out PVC plans, and listings of manufacturers and contacts of PVC alternatives.

www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/pipes_report.html
Healthybuilding gives this report detailing analysis of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) free pipe materials in construction. The major pipe sectors covered are: water, sewer, ducting, drain/waste, and agricultural irrigation.

http://www.noharm.org/europe/issues/toxins/pvc_phthalates/
The Health Care Without Harm website shares basic information on the hazards of PVC in the healthcare industry with links to extensive resource pages, publications and related sites examining dioxin, DEHP and PVC impact on patients.

www.ping.be/chlorophiles/en/en_index.html
Chlorophiles, a PVC industry site promotes the use of PVC by questioning findings and comparing PVC to other alternatives.

http://www.chej.org/BESAFE/pvc/safe.htm
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice coordinates the PVC Consumer Campaign offering publications for the public such as PVC Free Back-To-School Guide.