Following are the Seven recycling codes for plastics;

1. Polyethylene Tetraphthalate (PET)

2. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
3. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
4. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
5. Polypropylene (PP)
6. Polystyrene (PS)
Out of the seven recycling codes mentioned above “Polyethylene Tetraphthalate (PET) has been
selected for discussion in this assignment. PET is labelled as ≠ 1 code. The steps involved from
the time when PET is discarded to when it is completely recycled into a new product are the
following;
1. PET collection and sorting
In this process the PET material is collected for the purpose of recycling it and
categorized i.e. it is sorted from other recyclables.
2. Shipment to recycling facility
At this stage the collected PET material is shipped to a PET recycling facility.
3. Pre-washing and label removing
In this process near infrared equipment is used. The material is washed and labels are
removed for its easier identification.
4. Crushing
In crushing process the PET material is crushed and ground into small fragments
5. Disinfection and use of detergents for cleaning
In this step cleaning agents and disinfectants are used to remove any remaining
contaminants
6. Drying
PET material is dried prior to manufacturing of new products.
7. Manufacturing process
PET material is passes through a series of screens and then it is introduced into
manufacturing unit.
8. Making new PET bottles
New PET bottles are formed as a product of recycling.
Major issues / challanges that are currently blocking a more complete recycling process are the
following;
1. Major issue in recycling of plastics is its high cost. Recycling process is not cost
effective.
2. Lack of equipment for efficiently separation and sorting of plastics is another issue for
blocking a more complete recycling process.
 3. Non-Implementation of plastic recycling laws is also an issue due to which only a portion
of discarded plastics is recycled. More recycling should be promoted to minimize plastic
pollution.

Recycling efficiency of plastic and paper producs is different from eachother. Recycling
efficiency of paper and plastic is 89% and 74.5% respectively. Commonly energy recovery
process of paper is paper factory and plastic is Mechanical Recycling. In mechanical recycling
plastics are mechanically recycled. The energy recoverable from paper waste is thermal energy.
Since recycling efficiency of paper is higher than plastic so the sustainable energy recovery from
paper is higher than plastic.
Buring paper is more environmental friendly than plastic because papers are made from
renewable sources. Also paper is biodegradable and recyclable as compared to plastic which is
non-biodegradable. On one side burning plastic and paper reduces its landfill volume and creates
energy when processes in waste to energy plants while on the other side burning plastic releases
toxic gases and they are health hazardous. It increases the risk of heart problems, respiratory
diseases such as asthma and emphysema etc. It also causes liver damages of liver, kidney and
nervous system.