Industrial Plastic in a Linear vs. Circular Economy
Industrial plastic recycling is often discussed in relation to the circular economy. As the thinking goes, any genuine effort to make the circular economy mainstream requires a robust effort to reduce waste. Therefore, recycling industrial plastic scrap adds to the circular economy by keeping said plastic out of landfills and incinerators.
Where a circular economy isn’t observed, you have a linear economy. Do you know the difference? And if so, do you agree that recycling is a way to contribute to the circular economy? Consider that before you send your industrial plastic scrap to the landfill.
If your business is located in any of the states we service, give us a shout. We might be able to take that industrial plastic waste off your hands. We might even be willing to pay you for it.
The Linear Economy and Industrial Plastic
The linear economy is so named because you can follow its progress on a timeline of sorts. You start with raw materials that travel along that line as they are converted into usable products. The usable products continue down the line until they reach consumers. Finally, when the products reach end of life, they make the final trip down the line to scrap plastic waste disposal.
This is the model Western civilization has relied on for hundreds of years. Since the Industrial Revolution, we have perfected the art of manufacturing things, using them, and then throwing them away. The consumer demand for convenience fuels the manufacturing of industrial plastic waste and products. But things haven’t always been this way. What we call the circular economy is actually as ancient as humanity itself.
The Circular Economy and Industrial Plastic
If the linear economy follows a straight line, the circular economy goes in a circle. Pretty simple. Right? In principle, yes. Unfortunately, a 100% circular economy is not possible. Humanity will always generate waste of some sort. But we can make the economy more circular than linear, thereby preserving resources and reducing waste.
In a circular economy, you still start with raw materials to make all sorts of products. Those plastic products are sold to consumers for normal use. When that use has run out, the products are reused, repurposed, or recycled. All three choices keep the plastic waste out of the landfill. They extend useful life so that industrial plastic waste is ultimately reduced. An added benefit is that we use fewer raw materials to manufacture new products.
Industrial plastic recycling offers a clear example of the circular economy. For instance, we recycle used plastic dunnage trays of all sizes. Rather than those trays heading to a landfill after a single use, we shred them to create what is known as plastic regrind. Customers buy regrind from us, then combine it with virgin plastic pellets to manufacture new products.
It is Easy to Do
It may not be easy to convert the worldwide linear economy to a 100% circular economy, but it is fairly easy to recycle industrial plastic scrap. In most cases, doing so is as easy as finding a recycling partner that services companies in the local area. We operate in:
Note that we purchase a variety of industrial plastics ranging from plastic pallets to collapsible totes and plastic purge. If you are located in one of our serviced states and you believe your company produces industrial plastic scrap we can use, do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
Your company can contribute to the circular economy by recycling your industrial plastic scrap. We think it is a better option than allowing your plastic to continue feeding a linear economy that sends far too much material to landfills and incinerators. Recycling is a better option when available.