Mechanical recycling

Mechanical recycling is the set of physical processes that turn waste into new materials and products without significantly altering its chemical structure. It is the most widespread form of recycling in the world and is especially important for plastics, metals, glass, paper and card.

Unlike chemical recycling, which breaks materials down into simpler molecules, mechanical recycling relies on operations such as shredding, washing, melting and extrusion, which makes it a more economical and well-established method. Within the circular economy, it allows large volumes of waste to be reincorporated into the production cycle, reducing the extraction of virgin raw materials and minimising environmental impact.

Legal basis

The Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy recognises mechanical recycling as a form of material recovery. At European level, the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC and its amendments (Directive (EU) 2018/851) place recycling high in the waste hierarchy, promoting mechanical recycling as a primary route. For plastics intended for food contact, Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 sets the specific requirements for recycled material used in packaging (it replaced the earlier Regulation (EC) 282/2008, which has been repealed).

Materials suitable for mechanical recycling

1. Plastics
   • PET (water and soft-drink bottles).
   • HDPE and LDPE (detergent containers, bags).
   • PP (caps, food packaging).
   • Limitations with multilayer or contaminated plastics.
2. Metals
   • Aluminium (beverage cans).
   • Steel (ferrous scrap).
3. Glass
   • Glass containers, recyclable repeatedly without loss of quality.
4. Paper and card
   • Recycled by pulping and forming new paper pulp.

Stages of mechanical recycling

1. Collection and sorting

• Waste from separate collection or sorting plants.
• Removal of non-target materials (non-recyclable plastics, contaminants).

2. Shredding and grinding

• Reducing items to flakes or particles.

3. Washing

• Removal of dirt, labels and organic residues.
• Use of hot water, detergents or mechanical friction.

4. Separation

• Flotation techniques for plastics.
• Magnetic and eddy-current separators for metals.

5. Melting and extrusion

• Plastics turned into recycled pellets.
• Metals melted and refined.
• Glass melted for new containers.

6. Manufacturing new products

• Recycled PET bottles (rPET).
• Recycled aluminium cans.
• Recycled paper for packaging.

Applications

• Plastics: bottles, textile fibres, non-food packaging.
• Metals: construction, automotive, new packaging.
• Glass: bottles and jars.
• Paper and card: packaging, newsprint, corrugated board.

Advantages

Environmental

• Savings in virgin raw materials.
• Lower CO2 emissions.
• Less reliance on landfill and incineration.

Economic

• Lower production costs compared with virgin materials.
• Job creation in the recycling industry.
• Development of a market for secondary raw materials.

Social

• Greater public awareness of source separation.
• Encouragement of innovation in recyclable packaging.

Limitations

• Waste contamination: the presence of non-target materials reduces the quality of the recycled output.
• Material degradation: in plastics, mechanical properties decline after several cycles, which often leads to downcycling.
• Unstable markets: the price of recycled material depends on the cost of virgin raw materials.
• Difficulty with complex materials: multilayer or mixed plastics are not suitable for mechanical recycling.

Additional regulatory framework

• Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 on recycled plastics for food contact.
• Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste.
• Regional waste-management plans.

Mechanical recycling and the circular economy

Mechanical recycling is a pillar of the circular economy because it returns materials to the production cycle with lower energy and resource use than virgin materials. Combined with other recovery processes, it helps advance towards the EU targets of recycling 55% of municipal waste by 2025 and 65% by 2035. At Manglai we help companies measure their environmental footprint and prepare their sustainability reporting, including the material and waste data behind recycling strategies. Discover how Manglai can help you.