There are many factors at play when choosing which type of resin mix to use for your plastic extrusion project, but when it comes to comparing recycled vs. virgin plastic, one is quickly becoming the preferred option across nearly every industry and application.
Here are the top five reasons why you’ll want recycled resin for your next project.
1. Sustainability
300 million tons of recyclable plastic is produced every year, and yet 91% of it ends up in our landfills. This is a rich source for plastic that OEMs have just started tapping into. Choosing to use recycled content instead of virgin plastic in your resins will go a long way in reducing landfill waste, reliance on crude oil, and your overall climate footprint.
2. Bottom-line benefits
Swapping virgin for recycled plastic isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for business. Consumers and investors alike are becoming increasingly concerned with how products are sourced and produced, and environmental impact across the entire supply chain has become a big factor in their buying decisions.
To attract and retain buyers of all kinds, companies are renewing their practices and supply chain partnerships with a strong focus on sustainability. When it comes to plastic products, that means making the switch to recycled content in resins.
3. Cost efficiency
Recycled plastic used to be more expensive than non-recycled petrochemicals, but the rise of regulations and tax sanctions on virgin polymer feedstocks and virgin plastic products is starting to change that.
An S&P Global Commodity Insights report reveals that recycled plastic is becoming increasingly commoditized and a cheaper option for manufacturers. In March of 2021, virgin PET feedstock costs were 50% higher than post-consumer PET.
4. Product quality
Post-consumer recycled plastic solves a key business concern in the push for sustainable products, and it goes back to why the world started using plastic in the first place.
Plastic is championed for being durable, weather resistant, lightweight, and incredibly long-lasting. It’s also known for high-level sterility and has become irreplaceable in environments where sanitation is a priority. In the medical field, for example, plastic surgical gloves, IV tubes, and other one-time use plastic products have played a vital role in disease control.
Sustainable alternatives like cardboard and beeswax-coated fabric don’t compare in their ability to protect packages during transit or in overall functionality and lifetime of a product. That’s why OEMs are turning to PCR content to make plastic itself more sustainable.
5. Optimized production
In the ever-changing manufacturing landscape, OEMs are finding new opportunities to optimize resin production, making it more efficient and sustainable. Finding a plastic partner who works to find creative solutions specific to your industry will prove even more beneficial to your bottom line.
At Custom Profiles, we work with customers to balance the need for high-quality resin and sustainable production by finding the optimal recycled resin mix for their business. From material selection to resin processing and plastic extrusion, our team is dedicated to making your transition to more sustainable practices as smooth as possible.
Connect with a Custom Profiles expert to learn more about boosting the sustainability of your extruded products.
