Managing expectations
Plastics are challenging.
Plastics share a common foundation in their basic chemical structure, but the differences arise through the addition of various agents, pigments, fillers, and stabilisers. These modifications are what give different types of plastics their unique properties.
Additionally, some plastics are made from recycled materials, which can be mixed with other sources, and the long polymer chains may have been broken down or been altered due to environmental exposure over time.
Dealing with variability
Although plastics are designed to be durable and long-lasting, they are not impervious to their surroundings. They are influenced by factors such as heat, UV light, microbes, and chemicals, which can degrade or alter their structure.
This means that while you may be inspired by another team’s successful products – perhaps ones you saw online – it’s important to understand that replicating their process might not yield the same results due to differences in material properties, environmental factors, and equipment.
Keep trying!
R&D in the recycling space is inherently iterative: Experiment, fail, learn, and refine.
Each attempt teaches you something new and helps you adapt your process to make it work in your unique setting. Success doesn’t come on the first try, but through constant experimentation and improvement, it’s only a matter of time before your efforts pay off.
Did you know?
It’s important to know that 1 kg of recovered HDPE is not equivalent to 1 kg of virgin HDPE feedstock. Cleaning and drying typically result in a material loss of around 10%.
Similarly, a batch of collected polypropylene (PP) may not possess the same properties as would be expected from its datasheet, or if it came from high-quality sources. This disparity is particularly relevant if you’re following tutorials from sources that are in a different geographic region or socio-economic context.
Why is this the case?
In many places, PP (polypropylene) is recycled informally, leading to inconsistent quality. Key challenges include:
- Degraded polymer chains – PP may have been recycled multiple times, weakening its structure.
- Fillers affecting quality – Some recyclers add fillers to increase weight, which reduces durability and recyclability.
This highlights the importance of understanding the material you’re working with and validating its qualities yourself. While inspiration from other projects is valuable, the unique context of your resources, environment, and local practices means that direct replication may not yield the desired results.
Success in plastic recycling often requires adapting processes to fit the specific characteristics of your materials, through hands-on experimentation and iterative refinement.
