{"id":582,"date":"2021-07-07T16:00:54","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T04:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pro-measures.com\/?p=582"},"modified":"2021-07-07T16:04:35","modified_gmt":"2021-07-07T04:04:35","slug":"recycling-the-future-how-we-use-polypropylene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pro-measures.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/07\/recycling-the-future-how-we-use-polypropylene\/","title":{"rendered":"Recycling & the Future: How We Use Polypropylene"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a world where we\u2019re all more eco-conscious than ever, many of us are doing our best to minimise the damage we do to the environment. We\u2019re now more aware of our impact on the planet\u2019s health and we\u2019re all doing what we can to live consciously day to day. We may cycle to work rather than taking the bus, stop purchasing single-use plastic items, cut out red meat, or recycle when we can. But it\u2019s important to know what materials we can recycle and what effects they have on our planet.<\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about recycling and how it relates to polypropylene.<\/p>\n

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What is polypropylene?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Polypropylene, often shortened to PP, is a versatile thermoplastic polymer widely used in several industries to make countless products. PP is resistant to heat, and several chemical solvents, bases, and acids, and most importantly, it is recyclable.<\/p>\n

PP is most commonly used to make clear film packaging, stationery, banknotes, carpet fibers, automotive components, loudspeakers, laboratory equipment, and reusable containers.<\/p>\n

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Recycling PP<\/h2>\n

While polypropylene is one of the most commonly-used plastic packaging materials worldwide, only 1% of this material is recycled. In other words, most PP ends up in a landfill. These materials take a staggering 20-30 years to decompose, raising critical environmental issues. The incineration of PP can release vinyl chloride and dioxins which are poisonous to humans.<\/p>\n

Several companies have undertaken \u2018life cycle\u2019 studies to establish PP\u2019s sustainability. This process assesses the polypropylene from the raw material production to its final stages to determine how recyclable the product is. These studies generally conclude that PP has an encouraging amount of potential in terms of product sustainability.<\/p>\n

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What are the benefits of using polypropylene products?<\/h2>\n

As we\u2019ve learned, products made with PP are not considered single-use. They are designed to be used for years, reducing global consumption of raw, finite resources like propane gas and oil.<\/p>\n

PP products also require less oil than traditional plastic production methods. Currently, around 8% of the oil used worldwide (that\u2019s about 400 million tonnes<\/em>) is utilized in traditional plastic production, with 4% used for manufacturing and another 4% as feedstock<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Compared to the energy used for oil and gas production, energy use can be reduced by an impressive 88% when we produce plastic from recycled materials.<\/p>\n

PP is inherently flexible and can be recycled back into many different products, including:<\/p>\n