High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic polymer made from petroleum. As one of the most versatile plastic materials around, HDPE plastic is used in a wide variety of applications, including plastic food packaging, plastic bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, bleach bottles, cutting boards, and piping.
HDPE is the type of plastic labeled with the # 2 code on or near the bottom of bottles and containers.
HDPE is accepted at most recycling centers in the world, as it is one of the easiest plastic polymers to recycle. Most recycling companies will collect HDPE products and take these to large facilities to be processed. It is usually deemed safe for food contact by the FDA.
Because of its internal structure, HDPE is much stronger than PET, and can be reused safely. It can also be used for items that will be stored or used outdoors, because it does well in both high and freezing temperatures.
Upcycling is a method of using the container without any energy process being involved.
The waste is transformed or used as a raw material for the creation of a new object thus, adding value to the waste such as the transformation of bottle caps into art or artistic products.
In Mauritius, Freedom Plastics and Precious Plastics through FabLab installations engaged themselves in converting HDPE bottle caps into artisanal products.
Surfrider Mauritius, GNG Plastics and DKD plastics, on the other hand, recycle HDPE products into construction and building materials and outdoor furnitures.
The hot flakes processing is an industrial process along the line of recycling. Plastic flakes go through hot wash bath.
More sanitation and process will then lead to pellets of food-grade standards enabling them to be reused in the process of new bottles production.
Bottle-to-Bottle (B2B) is a very complex process involving the collection of the bottles to the processing including hot flakes wash sanitization leading to the blowing of a new bottle with all food grade guarantee.
The percentage of recycled pellets used in the bottle-to-bottle process may vary from 20% to 100% leading to a reduction in virgin raw material use.
EcoPrime recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) can be used in any type of food packaging including applications for fatty foods, spirits and retorted products.
Pyrolysis is an industrial process where the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures in an inert atmosphere. It involves a change of chemical composition. Pyrolysis is most used in the treatment of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis enables the conversation of solid waste into natural gas and oil for green energy production.