Comparison of Recycled Polymers with Their Virgin Counterparts: Properties and Eco-Indicators.

Plastics represent one of the biggest challenges related to the circular economy (CE) and sustainable development goals (SDGs). In this study, both the virgin and mechanically recycled versions of three traditional petroleum-based polymers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are compared. For that, an investigation of the different mechanical, chemical and thermal properties was conducted. Additionally, the life cycle eco-indicators were studied for each case. Finally, correlations between all of the factors were studied in order to get a more comprehensive understanding of how the properties influence one another.