How Data Drives Recycled Plastics Adoption

The growing focus on sustainability has made recycled plastics an important part of reducing environmental impact. In 2022, post-consumer recycled plastics made up 12.6% of all converted plastics in Europe—around 6.8 million tons—a 70% increase since 2018, according to Plastics Europe. Globally, however, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, incinerators, or the environment, as reported by the OECD. While progress is being made, challenges like material quality, processing inefficiencies, and complex regulations remain. With the European Union setting ambitious targets for recycled content, innovation and investment are key to improving recycling systems and reducing waste.

The path forward lies in leveraging data-driven insights to optimize the application of recycled plastics, striking the perfect balance between sustainability and performance.

The Role of Data in Addressing Key Challenges

Data-driven insights are essential for optimizing manufacturing processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and improving the quality and consistency of recycled plastics.

  1. Optimizing Manufacturing Processes
    Data plays a vital role in streamlining the processing of recycled plastics. Real-time process monitoring can track parameters such as temperature, pressure, and viscosity, ensuring consistent production. Additionally, predictive analytics can identify potential issues before they impact the final product, minimizing downtime and material wastage.
  2. Meeting Regulatory and Sustainability Goals
    Regulatory standards, particularly for food-grade and medical applications, often require detailed documentation of material properties and traceability. Data collection ensures that recycled plastics meet stringent safety standards while demonstrating compliance with sustainability certifications.
  3. Improving Material Quality and Consistency
    One of the biggest hurdles in using recycled plastics is variability in material properties. Unlike virgin plastics, recycled materials can have impurities, mixed polymers, or inconsistent melt flow characteristics. By collecting and analyzing data at each stage—sorting, processing, and production—manufacturers can better predict material performance and ensure quality.

How OSPHIM Enables Data-Driven Solutions

OSPHIM is a software company specializing in the collection and analysis of data to monitor and optimize injection molding processes. By utilizing real-time process monitoring and advanced algorithms, OSPHIM helps manufacturers identify anomalies and enhance process efficiency. OSPHIM focus on leveraging data to improve the use of recycled plastics, with solutions designed to:

  1. Optimizing Manufacturing Processes
    OSPHIM enables real-time process monitoring and helps set machine parameters for optimal performance. This reduces inefficiencies, minimizes downtime, and ensures the smooth processing of recycled plastics.
  2. Ensuring Regulatory Compliance
    OSPHIM aids in meeting regulatory requirements by providing data for traceability and documentation, ensuring that recycled plastics comply with necessary safety standards and certifications.
  3. Improving Material Quality and Consistency
    OSPHIM supports monitoring and analyzing data during production to ensure consistent material quality. By tracking key parameters, it helps identify material inconsistencies/ anomalies, especially with recycled plastics, improving the reliability of the final product.

The Future of Recycled Plastics Through Data

By turning raw data into actionable insights, OSPHIM empowers businesses to adopt recycled plastics confidently, ensuring sustainability without compromising quality. Data is no longer just a tool but a transformative force in overcoming the challenges of recycled plastics. By improving material quality, optimizing processes, and ensuring compliance, data-driven solutions pave the way for a circular economy where plastics are reused rather than wasted.

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