Feedstock is the raw material that goes into a production process. In plastic recycling, the feedstock is the collected and sorted plastic waste that a plant turns into flakes and granules.
Feedstock quality largely decides the quality of the output. Recyclers specify it by polymer, colour, form, such as film, rigid or woven sacks, and maximum contamination, and by origin: post-consumer or post-industrial. A secure, traceable supply of feedstock is the hardest part of recycling to build, which is why Lucro invests in its own collection network instead of relying only on the open market. In chemical recycling, the word also describes the oil or gas produced for making new plastic.
