Physical Transformation
Conversion of plastic waste into secondary raw materials through grinding, washing, and extruding defines mechanical recycling. This process keeps polymer chains intact while changing the physical shape of post-consumer or post-industrial waste into flakes or pellets. Manufacturers receive these materials for use in new textile filaments.
The integrity of the polymer decreases with each heat cycle.
Thermal Limitation
Processing temperatures during extrusion reach high levels to liquify the plastic for pelletizing. These high temperatures trigger chain scission which shortens the molecular weight of the synthetic resin. Suppliers evaluate this viscosity drop through melt flow index testing to determine if the resulting polymer meets technical specifications for fibre spinning.
Batch quality depends heavily on the purity of the input stream. High levels of contamination from dyes, additives, or foreign polymers render the final output unsuitable for high tenacity industrial applications.
Supply Requirement
Sorting protocols at the collection facility influence the utility of the material in garment production. Contaminants such as polyester variants or elastane fibres create weak points when extruding standard polyethylene terephthalate. Labs verify the composition of incoming lots using infrared spectroscopy to ensure compatibility with spinning equipment.
Verification Protocol
Certification bodies assess the chain of custody to prevent the dilution of recycled content with virgin material. Independent auditors examine production logs and stock transfer records at the point of manufacture to match input volumes with final output figures. Documented mass balance tracks the movement of secondary materials from the initial shredder to the final knitting or weaving mill.
Traceability prevents fraudulent claims of recycled origin in finished soft goods.
