A new eye to see recycling and design

减少排放：Recycling is one of the most beneficial and environmentally friendly options of all the waste management methods. The environmental benefits of replacing incineration or landfill with recycling are numerous. Recycling diverts waste from landfills which has an impact on lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Recycling also has lower environmental impacts when compared to virgin materials production i.e. avoiding oil extraction and refining which has an immediate impact on saving natural resources and energy.

Considering the whole plastics recycling value chain, including collection, pre-treatment/sorting, transportation, recycling and the options of energy recovery and landfilling, a significant reduction in GHG emissions is expected in 2020 if the targets set in EU legislation are met. The GHG savings of plastic recycling could therefore result in 6.5% less emissions of the EU plastics industry by 2020 and 11.5% less emissions by 2025.

创造就业机会：回收将成为欧洲经济的重要部门，因为回收的直接收入构成了相当大的贡献。回收率目标的提高是一个先决条件，不仅要影响环境，而且对经济，尤其是就业市场产生影响。据估计，通过在2020年在欧盟成员国中执行更高的回收率，可以在2020年在回收价值链中创建，包括回收过程本身和废物管理。这种增长将对下游和上游部门以及更广泛的经济产生影响，从而创造了额外的75,000个间接工作，以建造新的回收设施，制造设备，用于回收，维护回收设施和设备，研究和设备，研究和设备，研究和设备，研究和设备创新以及与行政和管理有关的工作。

关于直接创造就业机会，在材料的分类和分离以及收集和回收利用时，最大的增长将发生。值得注意的是，直接工作主要与低技能工人有关，因此对许多就业可能性较少的人来说，对社会包容和减轻贫困有影响。另一方面，能源恢复非常少，并且对创造就业机会没有影响。更少的可能性是：创造更多的就业机会，浪费更少，污染实际上更少。

塑料包装回收始于设计。Not well thought design often leads to leftover residue in emptied packages. Recycling processes are very often hampered by inseparable composites of polymers, use of unnecessary additives or by combining plastics with other materials like: paper, metal, fibres in a way that that does not allow for an easy separation.

包装设计的标准是高性能。但是，新的挑战应该是纳入可回收性方面，并将其与产品安全，运输安全，保质期，市场营销和品牌一起成为最高要求。重要的是要平衡塑料包装的这些各种目标。

RecyClass' aim is to improve the design of packaging so that it is easily recyclable into a quality secondary raw material to then be used in a new plastic product. Much of plastic packaging is not fit for this purpose and hence destined for energy recovery only - the last but one option in the waste hierarchy pyramid.

RecyClass an online tool to Asses Recyclability: Recyclass allows the assessment of virtually any plastic package from the point of view of its recyclability. In a few simple steps the environmentally friendly design of a package can be verified

RecyClass an online tool to Asses Recyclability:Recyclass allows the assessment of virtually any plastic package from the point of view of its recyclability. In a few simple steps the environmentally friendly design of a package can be verified

该工具提供了有关如何改善包装设计的建议和建议，以防评估中包装分数差。在评估的最后一步中，该软件包可以由专家认证使用回收类品牌。

By improving packaging design, RecyClass will help divert substantial quantities of plastics away from landfill & incineration and help reach the new higher recycling targets while saving the natural resources.

This initiative has been taken by Plastics Recyclers Europe

Sameer Joshi博士