Weighing up the ecobalance of different plastics recycling methods.

Mechanical recycling, feedstock recycling and thermal energy recovery are all valid methods of recycling plastics. This is the conclusion reached by an ecobalance study coordinated by the TUV Rheinland. According to this study, a mixture of all three recycling methods provides the optimum solution to the problem. The relative use made of each method in the individual case should be guided by what is technically feasible and cost considerations.