How are plastics recycled ? There are two main ways in which the recycling of plastics can be carried out. Mechanical recycling MR involves physical changes to the plastics Chemical recycling is also known as feedstock recycling. It involves the breakdown of the waste plastic into monomer units which can then be used again in the formation of new polymers or in other reaction s in the chemical industry . There are number of ways of doing this which include burning the plastics thermal cracking and gasification. Chemical recycling is expensive and require a significant input of energy .Biodegrable polymersRecycling Recycling reduces the need for plastics disposal It also reduces the demand for production of new plastics. Reducing use of polymer products