The Advantages of Mid-IR Spectroscopy for Polymer Recycling

Plastics are becoming increasingly utilized in consumer and industrial products. Over five million tons of plastics are used each year. In the UK in 2010 approximately 38% of the plastics consumption was used in packaging materials, with a quarter of this in production of plastic bottles. In the automotive industry an increasing number of large parts are being made from plastics due to the demand for lighter materials to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle and reduce fuel consumption. Tons of plastics are discarded every year, often ending up in landfill sites. Across the world there are initiatives for consumers to increase the amounts of materials they recycle, rather than discard them to these landfill sites. The waste plastics will then go to plastics recycling plants where they can be identified and reused. Japan is one of the most successful countries in the world for recycling plastics. In 2010, 77% of plastic waste was recycled, over double the rate of the UK, with the US currently achieving about 20%.