What is Polyolefin?

Polyolefins mainly include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in the packaging sector.

Polyolefins are easy to process and inexpensive to produce. These polymers are used to manufacture numerous plastic articles such as hoses, plastic sheets, outer packaging and films, housings for household and electronic appliances or plastic containers.

Recycling polyolefins can be a challenge. Plastic waste is often mixed with impurities such as paint, coatings and other materials. These make conventional mechanical recycling difficult or impossible. Polyolefins are used in different shapes and colours, which makes sorting and separating materials difficult. Black plastics are particularly problematic as they often cannot be sorted efficiently. This means that they cannot be recycled to a high standard through mechanical recycling or can only be used for energy recovery and are lost to the cycle.