Interesting Recycled Plastic Products

As professionals in the niche, we are well aware that recycling is our first and most valuable goal. By processing compounds and materials, once used, and putting them again in use by the community, we are giving those materials a second chance. Second chance to serve us as something we use every day. This is the way we do, and the way we should do things in order to secure ourselves a better future. Recycling is limiting the CO2 emissions left by us.

What is Our Plastic Consumption

The United Kingdom consumes roughly 4 million tonnes of plastic each year and it’s estimated that 30% of plastics are recycled or recovered with subsequent reductions in energy, landfill, and oil usage. Most of the plastic comes from disposable plastic bottles. An estimate of roughly 9.2 billion plastic bottles each year. Recycling is limiting the pollution of our surroundings and is now being a resource with which we can establish different production methods. Those production methods are already bringing us some interesting products.

Once the worst enemy of recycling, plastic, is now being its most useful ingredient. Humanity has developed ways to reuse plastic products by, first recycling them, and then remaking it into something completely different. This path leads unwanted waste back on the market and back in use of our hands.

But what are we actually making out from the plastic that we recycle? And better yet, what we CAN make out of all that plastic waste. This is the question we here to answer today. You might find those interesting, you have one of those products in your garden even now. And for the future, who knows, maybe you will have a recycled plastic byproduct sitting in your driveway in the near future.

First things first, let us make you more familiar with some things right next to you, that is probably made from the plastic bottles that you threw away yesterday.

Recycled Plastic Lumber

Also known as plaswood. Basically, everything that could be made out of wood, could be made out of recycled plastic. That’s right. Everything! You only have to unleash your imagination a bit. Let us list some things, you may or you may not be familiar with. A UK based company, Kedel, is hard on the task of creating plaswood and some products out of it.

Recycled Plastic Benches

Many of the benches used now in community parks are actually made out of recycled plastic. Brilliant ideas! And on top of that, it is a great way for the council to participate in the greener future. Benches for toddlers, picnic benches and all kinds of benches you may think of. All of those could be and are actually made out of plastic. Imagine the trees that are being saved by this endeavor.

Scaffolding Boards From Recycled Plastic

Normally a lot of wood and steel material is being used in the making of scaffolding boards. They are used in all types of building operations, renovation building tasks and even while cleaning structures. The scaffolding boards have many perks. It is a lighter material, meaning it could be transported and setup easier. It is easier for the construction workers to operate with it and on top of that is turning your domestic plastic waste into something useful. Win!

Plastic Sheets

No, we are not saying that you should cover your bedrooms in plastic sheets, however, it is a possibility and most hospital beds are, actually covered with them. Those sheets could also be made out of recycled plastic. It opens up an opportunity for the construction business, as well as for the landscaping industry. Remember that fish pond you always wanted to have in your backyard. You could keep the water in it by laying a plastic sheet on its bank. The sheet is not aging or rotting away. It has much durability and is hard to be penetrated. It has many ways to apply that type of sheet and secure it place. We advise that you contact a professional in order to execute that project correctly. In the meantime collect some plastic bottle, it might help your neighbor by quality plastic sheets for his own project.

Light Poles

Those poles have no problems with the prolonged exposure to UV-light and heat from the lamps. Also, the climate changes during the change of seasons are nothing to worry about. On top of that with today's technology, it is possible to make plastic durable even to hard impacts. Maybe those are the light poles from the future. Made entirely out of recycled plastic and they will still have all of the features as the ones made out of steel. The only difference is that they won’t take up a huge chunk out of our resources and better yet, make possible for us to get rid of our plastic waste.

Sea-Bins

If you are not familiar with the SEABIN project you might want to check out our last article. The idea is great. Making a bin that can collect the plastics that are polluting the world ocean. The guys that are head of the project are now making their bins out of plastic. The brilliant part of the plan is that they tend to make those bins entirely out of the recycled plastics they collect. Brilliant isn’t it.

Roads From Recycled Plastic

No, you don’t have troubles with the eyesight! There is a company out there that is planning to make roads out of plastic, recycled one, of course. They actually already have the confirmation from a city in the Netherlands, to lay and test a road such as that. The plastic road has some challenges in its production, but for now, the idea is still on the go. Bear in mind that whatever challenges lay before them, they do have a team of professionals that could sort them out with a bit of thought. We may have the first plastic road in the word operating somewhere in 2018!

Road Signs

While we are at it we have to mention those bad boys. If you are about to make a road out of plastic those should be the ideal traffic guides! Road signs made out of plastic have some perks on top of the original ones. Firstly some of them are even graffiti protected. Isn’t perfect? They are lighter, still durable and are practically free of any maintenance.

Clothes From Recycled Plastic Fibre

This idea is aging back to 2012 and major clothing companies have embraced it. Creating clothes out of recycled plastic sounds like a great solution to worldwide plastic pollution. Even at the moment, you are probably wearing a piece of clothing that has recycled plastic particles in it. However, it may sound great but it also has some major issues going hand to hand with that idea. It turns out that we are even making things worst. Every time you wash clothes like those in your washing machine small microfabrics of plastic are being washed away in the ocean. Researchers are working on a filtration system that can catch particles that small. Organisations like UpGyres are working out on that matter. Luckily we can endure plastic made fabrics without polluting the environment further in the near future.

Polar Fleece

You know why this man is relaxing in that chair without being much obliged by the snow and cold weather going with it. Simple, he is wearing clothes with polar fleece isolation on the inside. To explain things more simply the polar fleece are made out of your recycled plastics with the following process. The liquefied plastic is being pushed in and out of small tubes. The strings that are being formed are left to cool off and now you have your plastic string. That string will later saw together with many of its brothers and sisters forming an isolating fabric. Easy as it may sound the process is actually very long and complicated. However, the industry found its way of doing things and fabrics like that are being made today. Great! Now you can enjoy your ski vacation in the warm comfort of your new clothes, made from your last month's bottles.

Recycled Plastic Carpets

Can you imagine that? The fabric made out of recycled plastic bottles could be used in the making of every red carpet! Not only those, of course. You domestic carpets and rugs most likely contain the fibers as well. This is setting some challenges in front of whoever is cleaning them. Fabrics from plastic are a bit gentle to heat and some stronger detergents. Professionals in the niche know that very well, so you won’t have to worry about that. The “plastic carpets” are made by reclaiming thousands of plastic bottles. The bottles are the being recycled into P.E.T chips. That plastic chip is later being fabricated into ECOSMART fiber. And last but not least, that fiber is being processed into your new living room carpet. On the plus side, it tends to be a bit easier to remove stains from that kind of carpets. And you are helping the greener future of the planet.

Water Park Slides From Recycled Plastic

Materials from recycled plastic are being used in the making of all kinds of slides. Maybe even your local playground is entirely made out of materials like that. It makes it an ideal solution for water themed parks, because of the maintenance cost is low. So in essence, while you are having your fun, you are actually helping the environment!

Toys From Recycled Plastic

Green Tulip is a business based in the UK that is very much obliged with the “green” idea. They are operating on lots of fronts. However, the one that impressed us the most is that they are actually making toys out of recycled plastics. You can find lots of other products on their website, but while we are on the “Fun” factor we just had to mention them and the toys they make. When you add the fact that most of the children's toys are being constantly reused by other children in the family, the recycle element can’t reach any further than that.

Even More Plastic Bottles?

Many companies that sell beverages are recycling most of their used bottles to create new ones to be refilled and sent back on the market. Also, some reusable plastic bottles are being shipped to the stores as we speak. Many of them actually packed with interesting features, such as smartphone apps that are tracking how much water do you drink and when is the best time for you to have a taste of freshness. That kind of products is ideal for mountain bikers, hikers, climbers and many many more people that are into sports.

Recycled Plastic Houses

The company called Affresol, based in Swansea, UK is making real estates entirely built from recycled plastic. Eighteen tons of plastic, to be precise. That amount is being processed to make Thermo Poly Rock (T.P.R) material. The great thing is that the plastic is a great isolation, so it will cut down the heating bills. It is also naturally waterproof, it is plastic after all. The company claims that the material is three times stronger than concrete and is storm, wind and fireproof! It could be covered in stone, brick or any other kind of construction material from the outside, leaving the plastic home in an even stronger and better looking shell. This might be the home of tomorrow. Packed with all kinds of high tech gadgets inside, maybe. This project could be solving two major worldwide problems at once, housing and plastic pollution.

Toothbrushes And Other Grooming Materials

The preserve is a US based company that makes toothbrushes and other grooming materials from recycled plastics. Yogurt cups, bottle cap, and other number five plastics. They collect the plastics from supermarkets and you can even send them your used toothbrush in the packaging for them to recycle and make a new one! Now that is a recycle circle, isn’t it?

Ballpoint Pens From Recycled Bottles

Ballpoint pens are probably the item we all have at home in huge numbers. What about the office, surely it is stacked well with that kind of disposable pens. Pilot Bottle 2 Pens is a company that is making those pens out of plastic bottles. Every single bottle could be used in the manufacturing of two to three pens. The ballpoint pens are actually even designed to resemble an empty plastic bottle. Those pens can later be recycled again. We would still need some, won’t we?

There you have it, a short list made out of hundreds of possibilities. Those are the once we thought are more valuable and interesting to the community. Some of them may have surprised you, at least we hope so. The recycling process is yet to prove its potential in front of us. We can only wait for even further breakthroughs in the industries and do our best to support them.

Where You Can Recycle Your Plastic

If you are interested in selling some of your plastics check your area for businesses like this one or find your local recycling depo with a quick search. If you are living in London you can look at our page for local recycling centers. As a green orientated business ourselves, we can do that for you. The rubbish we collect during your domestic rubbish collection is being sorted and later processed for recycling anyway.