Is PCR better than PIR?

July 14,

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What Does Recycled Plastic Really Mean?

By Catherine Haub

The new R&R: recycled and recyclable. People are looking for items that are eco-friendly, and brands are focusing on marketing themselves around their sustainability practices to appeal to this audience [1]. On many items&#; words like &#;made from recycled material&#; or &#;recyclable&#; are advertised, but do we know what that means?

• When a product is recyclable, it means it can either be recycled through curbside pickup or at a recycling center.
• A recycled product is made from that recyclable material, which may or may not be recyclable after [2].

Not all recycled claims are equal! Two common types of recycling include Post-Consumer and Post-Industrial. Though they may be similar, they do have some key differences.

• Post-Consumer Recycled material refers to content that we, as consumers, toss into our recycling bins, including soda bottles, cans, and boxes. When you send your recycling to be picked up, it is then taken to be sorted, cleaned, and sterilized to get ready to be made into new products. Each type of material has its own process in which it is made into the new product. Utilizing already existing material equals less virgin material needed, which lowers greenhouse gas emissions [3]. It is also cost-effective as money doesn&#;t need to be used to make new material. Companies that use PCR packaging show that they care about the impact their product makes on the environment, making it more appealing to customers.
• Post-Industrial Recycled material is a little bit different in that never actually made it to the consumer. It is composed of left-over scraps from the manufacturing process that came from several different ways, but it still follows that same process as PCR and is just as eco-friendly [4]. PIR has environmental benefits like PCR as less material ends up in landfills by being reused into new products, however, it is not as effective as PCR since it was never actually recycled. It is important to question claims that say &#;made with recycled plastic&#; even if the makeup of the container is just virgin plastic and PIR.

PCR and PIR have really changed the game for PET, PP, and HDPE plastics as it usually gets a bad reputation for being bad for environment since is made from fossil fuels. Showing that it can be recycled and reused very easily proves that plastics aren&#;t as bad as previously thought. By utilizing recycled plastic, there is little to no need for the petroleum to create new material, making the argument of banning plastics because of petroleum use not as effective. However, what is really important is that both PCR and PIR can be marketed as recycled materials. While post-industrial never leaves the facility, post-consumer eliminates landfill waste by taking bottles away from landfills. The unassuming consumer might infer that the words &#;recycled plastic&#; by default means &#;post-consumer&#; when in reality it has not even left a manufactured facility.

Here at Placon we work PCR into our own packaging, and our 75% and 100% post-consumer PET has been SCS Global certified to prove we use post-consumer recycled PET in our material. We purchase PET bottles and thermoforms from material recovery facilities (MRF&#;s) to help keep plastic that can be reused out of landfills. We&#;ve worked with a recycling facility next since to create our 75% post-consumer PET which can be found in many of our products. With using recycled material, we are moving towards a closed loop system, not only benefitting the consumer, but also the Earth.

[1]Sustainability is important to consumers: Friday&#;s daily brief (martech.org)

[2]The Association of Plastics Recyclers | Recyclable vs Recycled: What you need to know; why it matters &#; Blog (plasticsrecycling.org)

For more Post-Consumer Plastic Reuseinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

[3]PCR and plastics recycling (vitafoodsinsights.com)

[4]What Does PCR and PIR Mean, and What is it? &#; Greencore Products

What is the difference?

The difference between PCR and PIR comes down to the source of the waste material which is recycled and used to make new plastic products.

PCR stands for post-consumer recycled. PCR resins are made from materials that have been used by the consumer and then discarded.

PIR stands for post-industrial recycled. PIR resins are made from the waste generated during the manufacturing process rather than from a product than has been consumed.

What are the advantages of PCR?

• Using PCR plastic helps to divert plastic waste away from landfills and reduce plastic pollution.
• Virgin plastic materials are made from the polymers found in crude oil. By using recycled resins, you are reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.
• Any packaging made from 30% PCR content is Plastic Packaging Tax compliant. This can help you save money as it allows you to avoid the charge of £200 per tonne which is levied on plastic packaging which falls below the 30% recycled content threshold.
• PCR plastics help contribute to a truly circular economy.

What are the disadvantages of PCR?

• The quality of PCR plastics can vary significantly depending on the source materials and the recycling process used. Inconsistent quality makes it challenging to predict and control the performance of recycled plastic products.
• The recycling process can result in colour variations and aesthetic imperfections in PCR plastics.
• PCR resins often have inferior mechanical properties (e.g., strength, durability, and heat resistance) compared to virgin plastics. This can limit their suitability for certain high-performance applications.
• The PCR recycling process requires high tech equipment and is much more complicated than PIR recycling. This is because the flow of post-consumer plastics for recycling is much harder to control and there are many different types of plastic mixed together and they require extensive cleaning to prevent contamination.

What are the advantages of PIR?

• Using PIR reduces the demand for new raw materials and conserves natural resources.
• As with PCR, by using PIR you are helping divert plastic waste away from landfill and preventing plastic pollution.
• The flow of waste materials used to make PIR plastic is much easier to control that PCR. Because there is more control over the consistency of PIR feedstock, this means that PIR plastics tend to have a much higher quality and significantly better performance.
• It is commonly believed that PIR plastic packaging is not Plastic Packaging Tax compliant, however this is incorrect. Any plastic packaging with 30% PIR content falls the right side of the tax.
• The PIR recycling process is much cheaper and simpler than the PCR recycling process because there is more control over the raw materials.

What are the disadvantages of PIR?

• The supply of post-industrial recycled plastic can be limited and subject to fluctuations based on the availability of manufacturing waste.

It seen to be as sustainable as PCR plastics and post-consumer waste is the bigger problem which needs solving.

Are you interested in learning more about recycled abs plastic granules for sale? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!