Post Consumer Resin: Making bottles from recycled bottles

The poignant lyrics of "The Circle of Life" from the Disney film "The Lion King" resonate not only within the animal kingdom, but stretches beyond naturally living species to inanimate objects, like plastic bottles. Read how closed loop recycling allows post-consumer resin (PCR) plastic bottles the opportunity to see a little more of what can never entirely be seen and do a bit more of what can never wholly be done.

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Manufacture 

Small pellets are transformed into plastic bottles in manufacturing factories throughout the world through extrusion and injection blow molding processes. These plastic bottles are then sold to companies.

Fill & Label 

Companies then fill these plastic bottles with product and label (or print) them for distribution. The filled and labeled containers are shipped to point-of-sale locations and are merchandized for purchase.

Consume 

Plastic bottles are purchased from retailers by individuals. The goods are consumed.

Discard 

People dispose of the plastic bottles by tossing them out the window on a busy highway or in a recycling bin at home. Whatever the form, the plastic bottles are eventually discarded.

Collect 

Plastic bottles are picked up at various locales by sanitation specialists and recycling collectors.

Grind 

The collected plastic bottles are dropped off at a grinding facility. The first physical step in the recycling process, this is where the plastic bottles are broken down from their bottle form into plastic shards.

Wash 

In preparation to be reused, the plastic shards are thoroughly rinsed and washed.

Dry 

The newly sparkling clean plastic bottle shards must undergo an intense drying process before they can move on to the final stage of transformation.

Pelletize 

The dry plastic shards are re-made into numerous capsule-shaped pellets which will be used to create the second generation of plastic bottles from the same plastic material.

So, that’s what closed loop recycling looks like, all done in 10 simple steps. And at the end of the day a bunch of new post-consumer resin plastic bottles are created. If that’s not the circle of life embodied, I don’t know what is.

Is post consumer resin here to stay or a passing fad? Tell us in the comments!