Scrap HDPE is a booming market, and in many cases, demand far outstrips supply. Scrap HDPE is sought after and imported and exported around the world. Some North American manufacturers have even been known to import scrap HDPE from as far afield as Europe and Asia.
The demand for scrap HDPE and scrap HDPE byproducts, such as HDPE flake, is greatly understandable. In many cases, material costs can amount to 60% of a manufacturers’ budget, and so savings that can be made in the area of materials are welcomed indeed. A small saving per unit can amount to a large difference in the end of year budget for a manufacturer, so for many producers, scrap HDPE has been seen as not being entirely unlike manna from heaven. After all, scrap HDPE can often be found simply laying around on the ground, carelessly discarded by consumers who are unaware of its potential uses.
However, in many cases, scrap HDPE is still underutilized in manufacturing today. Ideally scrap HDPE could be used for the manufacturing of almost all products besides those which come in contact with foodstuffs. Scrap HDPE has been declared unfit as a material for packaging which contains foodstuffs as a result of the perceived risk of contamination that could possibly have taken place during the life of the HDPE prior to being recycled.
So then, why is scrap HDPE not being used in more applications? The problem is not the processing of scrap HDPE, or the willingness of manufacturers to use it in their products, rather it is access to the scrap HDPE itself. Many businesses make use of post industrial scrap HDPE, which largely comes in the form of offcuts from the manufacturing operations of other companies. However, the largest potential source of scrap HDPE is post consumer scrap HDPE, that is, HDPE products such as milk bottles, shampoo and conditioner bottles, whipped topping tubs, the list goes on. Many thousand tonnes of HDPE products are newly produced per year, however not nearly enough of them are making it back into the recycling programs that could turn HDPE refuse into new HDPE products.
It is not only traditional manufacturers who seek to use scrap HDPE in their products either. Environmentalists, and green companies are also turning to scrap HDPE as a source of raw material. Recycling HDPE products, especially post consumer products such as shampoo bottles, detergent bottles, fabric softener bottles, and milk bottles saves tonnes of landfill space every year. It is still lamentably true however, that much of the HDPE products produced in North America will not be turned over for recycling, and will find their way into landfills, exacerbating the environmental problems that the USA, much like many other countries, faces on a day to day basis.
Recycling education programs have been in place since the 90’s, and since that time there has been a steady increase in the volume of recycled material that is collected from consumers. There are still some areas of confusion however, as over the years demands for various types of plastics increase, and plastics that were once deemed unrecyclable become recyclable, keeping the consumer informed and motivated to set their discarded HDPE products out for recycling is an important concern for all members of the supply chain.
An additional problem facing the scrap HDPE market is collection. Efficient recycling programs are in place in many urban environments, but there are still swathes of the country where there are few recycling facilities, and no kerbside collection services. Consumers can hardly be expected to make special trips to recycle their plastics, so it is vital that local government bodies take the lead when it comes to setting up programs for the collection of plastics.
If local government will not step up to the recycling plate, there is an opportunity for private enterprise to provide consumers with bins for their plastics, and scheduling a weekly pick up. For this outlay, a private enterprise can reasonably expect to make a sizable profit on plastics which are discarded and can be collected for simply the cost of collection, and can then be on sold at a profit as either baled scrap HDPE, or processed into scrap HDPE flake or regrind.
Post consumer scrap HDPE is perhaps the ideal recycling model, and an answer to not only the problems of environmentalists, but also of consumers and manufacturers alike. Making use of post consumer HDPE protects the environment, cuts costs for the manufacturer, and can also save the consumer money in the long run, as manufacturers are able to price their products at a lower rate due to the savings they have made by using post consumer scrap HDPE.
Post Consumer Scrap HDPE Prices
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