3R
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Our Team
    • Sustainability
    • Sustainable Futures Accelerator
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Product Stewardship
    • Sustainability Projects
    • Waste Assessment
    • Hazardous Waste Management
      • ChemCollect
      • MyHazWaste
    •  Compliance and Certification
    • ChemCollect
  • Work
  • Case Studies
  • News
  • Contact Us
3R Logo Yellow
Services
  • Overview
  • Product Stewardship
  • Sustainability Projects
  • Waste Assessment
  • Hazardous Waste Management
    • ChemCollect
    • MyHazWaste
  •  Compliance and Certification
  • ChemCollect
3R Logo Yellow
Work
  • Overview
3R CE Adele Rose and GM innovation Trevor Tutt
3R Logo Yellow
About Us
  • Overview
  • Our Team
  • Sustainability
  • Sustainable Futures Accelerator

The plural of plastic

By Caddie Digital on January 21st, 2019 in Circular Economy, Product Stewardship
3R Group plastic nurdles

Plastic is a hot topic around the world these days, and so it should be.

The terrible effects it has on the environment are undeniable, and there is evidence those effects are circling back to us. Plastic has also become something of the posterchild for society’s conspicuous over-consumption.

But is plastic all bad? The short answer is actually, no.

Plastic – first developed by British inventor Alexander Parkes in the early 1860s – was hailed as something of a miracle substance. Light, durable, easy to sterilise, cheap to make – the list of positive properties is impressive.

Without plastic the world would be a very different place than it is today – simply consider how many things are made, at least in part, of plastic. It’s probably easier to think of how many things are not.

It is of course some of those very same properties – namely its durability – which have made plastic an environmental disaster. Combine this with a single-use, throw away culture around plastic and there is a serious problem.

But plastic is recyclable, isn’t it? Well it is, and it isn’t. This is because one of the biggest issues is plastic isn’t just one substance – it is in fact a complicated web of different types and grades, each with different properties and applications.

Broadly speaking plastics fall into two groups – thermoplastics, which can be remoulded with heat, and thermoset which cannot and need other processes, such as the use of chemicals. The most commonly used plastics have been assigned identification numbers which identifies the plastic types. These range from 1 to 7 with category 7 being the ‘all other’ or mixed plastics.

This is where recycling becomes complicated. As you might imagine thermoplastics are easier to recycle as they can be melted and remoulded.

Category 1 (PET – like drink bottles), 2 (HDPE – like milk bottles) and 4 (LDPE – soft plastic films) are the best examples of thermoplastics.

PET and HDPE are generally considered the most recyclable, and in New Zealand we have processing facilities for these. Flight Plastics in Wellington have a process which means PET can be recycled again and again – although a thin layer of virgin material is added as a food safety measure. There is also limited recycling for category 5 and 6.

So, what about the rest? While all plastics can theoretically be recycled it is the results of the recycling which varies greatly in terms of grade and value.

While a PET bottle can be remade into a new bottle, other plastics may require a complicated pathway for recycling, or the value of the material is so low that once it has been through the recycling process it is more expensive than the original material. Recycling is a business and needs to stack up financially for it to be viable.

You might then ask why all plastic products aren’t made from PET or HDPE. This comes down to the different properties of the plastics. As you can imagine, those which can be recycled through melting are not suitable for applications where they are exposed to heat, such as in electronics.

So, what’s the solution? Product stewardship – where the companies which make and distribute plastic products take responsibility for those products at the end of life – is an excellent start.

This isn’t just about ‘doing the right thing’, as product stewardship has been proven to have wide ranging benefits. Better product design is an important part of product stewardship – improving efficiency, reducing waste and eradicating unnecessary plastic, such as excess packaging.

In my next article I’ll talk about how we need to change our attitude to plastic.

by Natalie Martin, 3R Material Innovation Manager

Previous

3R Sustainable Development Report 2017-2018

Next 3R lubricant container stewardship

Lubricant Container Stewardship Scheme

Browse articles:

Archives

Categories

3R

3R Group Limited

info@3r.co.nz
0508 374 768
+64 6 872 7235
ChemCollect: 0508 243 642
207 Karamu Road North, Hastings 4122
PO Box 1216, Hastings 4156
New Zealand

Quicklinks

  • About Us
  • Services
  • Work
  • Case Studies
  • News

Subscribe for latest updates

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Social Media

© Copyright 2022 3R Group Limited | Privacy Policy

Site by Agrarian + Caddie

ISO 14001:2015

Environmental management systems and safe work practices.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that certifies our commitment to environmental management systems and safe work practices.

Consistent with our environmental policy, the intended outcomes of our environmental management system include:

  • The enhancement of environmental performance;
  • The fulfilment of compliance obligations;
  • The achievement of environmental objectives.

Our ISO 14001:2015 certification includes 3R Operations, the Paint Product Stewardship Programmes, ChemCollect Service and the SeatSmart Child Car Seat Recycling Programme (owned and operated by 3R).

This certification is audited by TELARC.

ISO 45001:2018

Keeping our people safe, healthy and happy.

ISO 45001:2018 certification has been chosen to demonstrate the importance we place in caring for our people as we bring to life our values of Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Keeping our team safe, healthy and happy is a primary focus for our business. We feel that the work our operations staff do makes this particularly important. Their responsibilities can include collecting and processing paint; collecting chemicals; driving trucks around the country; and getting hands-on with work wherever needed.

3R received ISO 45001:2018 certification in 2021. The ISO 45001:2018 certificate is valid for 3 years and includes annual surveillance audits which provide a valuable framework for further growth.

What is a circular economy?

New Zealand is “one of the highest generators of waste per person in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)”. The way we currently produce and manage our waste is not sustainable.

The current economy in New Zealand is linear: this equates to a process of take-make-use-dispose. The aim of the government is to move towards a circular economy.

A circular economy can refer to either biological or technical materials.

With biological materials, the cycle could be defined as make-consume-enrich. In this cycle waste returns to the environment and enriches the land.

A technical materials cycle may be more like make-use-return. In a technical materials cycle waste is repurposed and used to make something new.

Whether you need help with biological materials, technical materials, or both; 3R can partner with your business to assess your current waste, then help you reduce it.