What are the advantages of PE fittings recycling compared with other plastic recycling technologies?

PE fittings are usually made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or PE100 grade materials. They are made of a single material and do not contain composite structures such as reinforcing fibers and metal layers, which simplifies the sorting and pretreatment processes. Compared with multi-layer composite materials, the physical recycling purity of PE pipe fittings can reach more than 98%, and the performance attenuation of recycled particles is less than 10%. The acid, alkali and salt spray resistance of PE materials make it unnecessary to carry out complex cleaning during the recycling process (such as PVC needs to remove plasticizer residues), which reduces the cost of wastewater treatment.

PE pipe fittings recycling is mainly physical recycling, which can be recycled by crushing and melting granulation, and the unit energy consumption is only 0.2-0.3kWh/kg. PE pipe fittings are used in large quantities in the fields of municipal water supply, gas transmission, etc., with a fixed recycling cycle (about 50 years), forming a stable recycling raw material flow. In contrast, the recycling of daily plastics (such as PET bottles) relies on decentralized consumer ends and has low collection efficiency. The carbon emission intensity of recycled PE is 1.2t CO2/t, which is 52% lower than that of virgin resin (2.5t CO2/t). The increase in the recycling rate of PE pipe fittings can reduce the proportion of landfill and incineration, and indirectly reduce the risk of microplastic pollution to soil and water bodies. In addition, PE recycling can form a closed loop of "pipe fittings production-use-recycling-recycling of pipe fittings", realizing the beautiful vision of energy conservation and emission reduction.