Innovation in the Plastic Industry 1: Upcycle of Plastic Waste: Plastic Rejects

Plastic rejects are plastics that cannot be recycled and are thus burned (causing harmful emissions) or landfilled. This chapter highlights the utilization of plastic rejects which are not recycled (a) because of their material structure, as in the case of thermosets, which do not melt once they are set and if they are burned they turn to ash; (b) because the rejects are made of mixed plastics with different properties and different characteristics; or (c) because they are contaminated and it is more expensive to clean and recycle them than to buy new raw materials, as in the case of black garbage bags. The discussions cover the recycling technology for plastic rejects; product development from plastic rejects; construction materials made from plastic rejects; and properties of materials made from plastic rejects.