Some Economic and Environmental Benefits of Plastic Recycling

Recycled plastic can be reused and employed by aenergy sources and materials in Europe and the US
wide variety of industries Nike has recently usedwhich has been highlighted recently by the BP oil spill
recycled plastic materials in their world cup range.which has made alternatives to oil and more carbon
Most other leading sports retailers are following suit.intensive energy sources much more attractive
The plastics recycled make stronger and morecertainly in the eyes of a more environmentally
durable replacements in many cases for example theaware group of consumers. Recycled plastics will help
life of outdoor plastic furniture compared with morewin over the ethically minded consumer recycled
traditional wooden products is much longer.plastic does not require constant weather treatment
Other spillover effects are the production of newso will reduce the strain on the environment further
jobs as some of these are technical in nature theywith no need for chemical weather treatment.
may benefit the local economies as transportationThe majority of plastics are themselves now
costs are likely to undermine any benefits of lowerrecyclable and constant technology innovation and
labour in less developed countries. The Asian recyclingconsumer awareness will continue to push the loop
industry will boom regardless of importing wastecloser to closure with supermarkets continuing to
from abroad due to the massive manufacturingpush for the removal of plastic carrier bags and some
capacity of the Asian powerhouse. Local supplymajor high street names in the UK like Tesco
chains will be fed by new plastic products developedoffering drop off points for exhausted plastic that
locally as the production wages will filter back into thehas been reused again and again. Similar innovations
local marketplaces stimulating regional growth.exist in the agricultural sector where farm waste
This is certainly the case in the UK at present whereplastic is used to produce agricultural plastic products
there is a thriving recycled plastics industry which isand many other industries are starting to follow suit.
competitive and takes advantage of the cheaperThe consumer is becoming more aware and with
costs per tonne of transportation of recycled plasticmore information available than ever before it is
compared with wooden or concrete alternatives inprobably time you business started to look at the
the building trades.use of recycled plastic or any other reusable
A growing awareness of the potential for renewablematerials in a more productive manner.