Recycled plastic is plastic that has been recovered from waste and processed into material for new products, instead of being made from fossil oil and gas. It is sold as flakes or recycled granules and used in packaging, automotive parts, construction products, textiles and household goods.
Most recycled plastic is produced by mechanical recycling. Compared with virgin plastic, it has a far lower carbon footprint and keeps waste out of landfills and the environment. Its properties depend on how well the waste was sorted and cleaned; a good grade can replace virgin material in many applications, alone or in a blend. Recycled plastic is classed as post-consumer or post-industrial, and named with an r prefix: rPET, rHDPE, rLDPE, rPP.
