From waste to resources: How to integrate recycling into the production cycle of plastics

Due to the global increase in the use of plastics in making electrical equipment as well as consumer electronics, there is a rapid increase in waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE). WEEE is a combination of thermoplastics such as high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The process of recycling has been greatly emphasized as it reduces production cost by reusing some of the used plastic and minimizes negative environmental effects substantially. Still, a large amount of waste plastics is disposed of improperly. Pretreatment is necessary before the recycling process as the presence of impurities affects the recycling and conversion processes. The pretreatment process includes size reduction and elimination of impurities that are not made of plastics (e.g., metal and rubber). The chapter discusses suitable routes for reuse or recycling of electronic waste plastic materials or recovery of energy from it, so as to divert it from landfills.