Introduction

Green Manufacturing is generically defined as ‘elimination of waste by re-defining the

existing production process or system’. Several other jargons such as ‘end-of-line
management’ mean the same thing. We have all come across company examples that take
their problem solving approach to the next level and develop innovative techniques towards
effective solutions. Such solutions result in cost savings from reduced work handling, effluent
control, process automation, etc. All these efforts are applications of green manufacturing.

This manufacturing concept is not just restricted to addressing the social and
environmental impact of a pollution-centric process. Green manufacturing addresses
process redundancy, ergonomics and cost implications due to faulty methods of producing
goods. Faster and cheaper are no longer the only two criteria in manufacturing a product or
evaluating an existing process line. Several other factors such as materials used in
manufacture, generation of waste, effluents and their treatment (or possible elimination), life
of the product and finally, treatment of the product after its use- full life are all important
considerations.

Plastic bottle recycle is one of the green manufacturing product. Plastics are
inexpensive, lightweight and durable materials, which can readily be moulded into a variety
of products that find use in a wide range of applications. As a consequence, the production
of plastics has increased markedly over the last 60 years. However, current levels of their
usage and disposal generate several environmental problems. Around 4 per cent of world oil
and gas production, a non-renewable resource, is used as feedstock for plastics and a
further 3–4% is expended to provide energy for their manufacture. A major portion of plastic
produced each year is used to make disposable items of packaging or other short-lived
products that are discarded within a year of manufacture. These two observations alone
indicate that our current use of plastics is not sustainable. In addition, because of the
durability of the polymers involved, substantial quantities of discarded end-of-life plastics are
accumulating as debris in landfills and in natural habitats worldwide.

Methodology

In order for your plastic water bottle to get from your recycling bin and made into new
products, it goes on a long journey. First, your bottle must be collected by a recycling facility.
This can happen when recycling collection drivers pick up your plastic recycling bin on your
curb in front of your house, or when you bring your recyclable waste to a local recycling
facility
Next, if your local recycling company has implemented a Single Stream Recycling
System, by which all materials are collected together, these materials must undergo
a sorting process to separate different materials, such as glass, paper, or metals. Most often,
the majority of this sorting process is done automatically by machines, but it may also
include one manual sort to eliminate as much contamination of the materials as possible.

Since there are numerous types of plastics in use today, all of the plastic materials in a
recycling facility must be separated by type. Your plastic water bottle will likely be grouped
with the other plastic materials made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) plastic.
Unfortunately, certain types of plastics are not as easily recycled as other types of plastics.
Many recycling facilities do not have equipment that can handle every type of plastic, and so
these items may be sold to another facility that can recycle them or they may end up in a
landfill. Ask your plastic recycling company about what they do with items they cannot
process

Next, your plastic water bottle will go to an area of the recycling facility where it will be
ground up into chips or flakes, and the plastic will then be washed to get rid of any labels or
remaining residue. The plastic is dried, melted, and formed into pellets, which can be used
for manufacturing new products.

Recycled plastic pellets can then be sold to companies and used to make different
products. The plastic pellets than can be mold to a new plastic bottle.

Discussion

By recycling your plastic water bottles, you can positively impact the environment in
several ways. First recycle plastic bottle can reduce waste. Landfill space is limited, and the
conditions in landfills make it nearly impossible for anything, including plastic, to biodegrade.
Recycling plastic water bottles helps to conserve space that can be used for other waste.
According to Earth911, 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space is saved for every ton of plastic that
is recycled. Recycling can also help reduce the number of plastic water bottles that end up
as litter in roadways and water sources.
 Next, recycling plastic water bottles helps to conserve natural resources, specifically oil,
which is a non-renewable natural resource available only in limited supply. The
Environmental Protection Agency estimates that recycling one ton of plastic conserves
approximately 3.8 barrels of crude oil. In 2008, 2.12 millions of plastic were recovered for
recycling, the equivalent of roughly 7.6 million barrels of oil.

Creating new materials from existing materials uses significantly less energy than using
raw materials. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling one pound of
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic most commonly used in water bottles,
conserves approximately 12,000 BTUs (British thermal units) of heat energy. The recycling
process uses up to two-thirds less energy than traditional manufacturing, significantly
reducing the strain on the traditional power grid, which is based on the burning of fossil fuels.

The plastic manufacturing process results in the creation of greenhouse gases,

including carbon dioxide, which is thought to contribute significantly to the global warming
effect. Since the process for recycling plastic water bottles requires less energy and fossil
fuels, it also results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Protection
Agency estimates that the average family can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by up
to 340 pounds annually simply be recycling their plastic waste.

Finally to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling plastic water bottles also helps
to decrease the amount of pollution in the air and water sources. Many landfill facilities will
incinerate plastic bottles to save waste, which can emit toxic pollutants or irritants into the
air. The plastic resin used to make water bottles also contains potentially harmful chemicals
which can seep into the soil or groundwater if they are able to break down in the landfill.

Conclusion

In summary, recycling plastic bottle is one green manufacturing process for end-of-life
waste management of plastic products. It makes increasing sense economically as well as
environmentally and recent trends demonstrate a substantial increase in the rate of recovery
and recycling of plastic wastes. These trends are likely to continue, but some significant
challenges still exist from both technological factors and from economic or social behaviour
issues relating to the collection of recyclable wastes, and substitution for virgin material.