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Title: Recycling plastic wastes: quantity projections and preliminary competitive assessment

Journal Article · · Mater. Soc.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6581818

Projections of the quantities and qualities of specific plastic resins in the municipal waste stream in the years 1985 and 1990 are presented. In addition, the paper reviews and summarizes the literature in which net cost and net revenue estimates are made for selected disposal and recycle technologies. Three preliminary conclusions are drawn. First, during the 1985-1990 time period, only about 25% of the total quantity of plastic wastes can be easily diverted from the municipal waste stream. Second, the data currently available indicate that several recycle processes are competitive with currently used disposal processes. Third, recycle processes that utilize municipal wastes are not clearly inferior to recycle processes that utilize relatively uncontaminated plastic wastes. 22 references, 1 figure, 10 tables.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
DOE Contract Number:
Conctract W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
6581818
Journal Information:
Mater. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 8:3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English