Recycled PP: Leveraging the Dual Leverage of Environmental Protection and Resource Recycling

Recycled PP material (polypropylene) holds significant environmental, economic and resource recycling value. By reducing pollution, conserving resources, cutting costs and promoting the green transformation of the industry, it has become an important solution to plastic pollution and resource shortages.

The environmental value of recycling PP materials mainly lies in reducing plastic waste pollution and lowering carbon emissions. PP materials are widely used in packaging, automobiles, electronic appliances, etc. Every year, over 70 million tons of PP plastic are produced globally, but the recycling rate is less than 12%. A large amount of discarded PP if buried or incinerated will release toxic substances (such as vinyl chloride) and produce microplastics, polluting the soil and water bodies. Recycling PP can significantly reduce such pollution. Producing 1 ton of primary PP requires approximately 3 tons of crude oil, while recycling 1 ton of PP can reduce 88% of energy consumption, equivalent to saving 3 tons of crude oil. Moreover, the carbon emissions during the recycling process are 60%-70% lower than those in primary production, which is of great significance for mitigating climate change. At the same time, recycling PP can extend the material's life cycle. Ordinary PP takes 20-30 years to degrade in the natural environment, and recycling can prevent its long-term occupation of land resources and reduce the threat to the ecosystem.

Recycling of PP materials also has economic value, which can reduce raw material costs and generate more profits. Reduced procurement costs for enterprises: The price of recycled PP is only 50%-60% of that of raw materials (6,000 - 8,000 yuan per ton), and enterprises can save nearly half of their costs. For example, fruit basket manufacturers using recycled PP semi-finished products can reduce costs by 40%-50%. The market potential of recycled PP materials is huge, and the market demand is constantly increasing. The global value of the PP market exceeds 80 billion US dollars, and it is growing at an annual rate of approximately 5%. Recycled PP can meet the demand for low-cost materials in industries such as automobiles, electronics, and packaging. At the same time, there are corresponding benefits in terms of policies. Governments of various countries promote plastic recycling, such as the EU requiring that the plastic packaging recyclability rate reach 100% by 2025, and China's "14th Five-Year Plan" proposes to increase the recycling volume of renewable resources by 30%, providing policy support for the recycling industry.

The resource recycling value of recycled PP mainly lies in saving raw materials, promoting sustainable development, and reducing reliance on petroleum. PP is synthesized from petroleum-derived monomers. Recycling 1 ton of PP can save 3 tons of crude oil, alleviating the problem of resource shortage. Approximately 8% of the world's petroleum is used for plastic production, and recycling PP is of great significance for energy security. At the same time, it also promotes the circular economy and closed-loop utilization. Recycled PP can be made into new particles through physical or chemical methods (such as melting and regranulation, chemical decomposition), and then reused to manufacture car bumpers, appliance shells, industrial fibers, etc., achieving a closed-loop cycle of "resources - products - recycled resources". In terms of technological-driven innovation, chemical recycling technologies (such as pyrolysis, enzymatic degradation) can degrade PP into basic monomers, producing high-performance recycled materials, and expanding application fields (such as medical-grade PP, food containers). The use of recycled materials helps enhance the corporate image, and using recycled PP materials can strengthen the company's environmental reputation and meet consumers' demand for sustainable products. For example, ZARA uses recycled PP to make sweaters, reducing costs by 40% while enhancing brand competitiveness.

However, the recycled PP also faces many challenges. For instance, the sorting process is difficult, and PP often gets mixed with other plastics, requiring efficient separation technologies (such as near-infrared spectroscopy sorting) to improve purity; for example, there is a performance fluctuation issue, as the molecular weight of PP decreases after multiple recycling processes, and it is necessary to enhance performance by adding reinforcing agents, antioxidants, etc. modification; for instance, there is a lack of market recognition, and some consumers have doubts about the quality of recycled materials, so it is necessary to strengthen publicity and standard formulation (such as establishing a quality certification system for recycled PP).