How do the outputs differ between chemical and mechanical recycling?

The outputs of mechanical and chemical recycling processes vary based on both the type of input (e.g., the particular plastic resin or mixture of resins) and the technology applied.

Mechanical recycling: Plastics put through this process are chipped, heated and reformed, but they never lose their essential chemical character as a polymer. The pellets which result from mechanical recycling are useful in a wide variety of applications, depending on their quality, grade, and the original material, and can be made into new consumer, packaging or industry products. Over time, some of the physical properties of the original plastics can degrade when subjected to repeated mechanical recycling. 

Chemical recycling: Through these processes, the polymer bonds in used plastics are broken, creating completely different chemical structures such as gas and liquid hydrocarbons, which can be further processed into the basic chemical building blocks for plastic, known as monomers, or oligomers. The range of new plastic products created through this method are of “like-new” quality and can even be food grade.

The chart below illustrates the wide range of plastic resin types that can be accommodated within various technologies to produce a range of different products.