Plastic Recycling training

Lesson 1 • Introduction to Plastic Polymers

Covers the chemical basis of polymers and how molecular structure determines physical properties. Establishes vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Resin Identification Codes

Explains the seven standard resin codes and the materials each represents. Connects code knowledge to sorting accuracy on the facility floor.

Lesson 3 • Physical and Chemical Properties

Examines density, melting point, tensile strength, and chemical resistance for each major resin. These properties directly govern processing and end-market suitability.

Lesson 4 • Environmental Persistence of Plastics

Describes degradation timelines, fragmentation into microplastics, and environmental pathways. Motivates the urgency of effective recycling practice.

Lesson 1 • Logistics and Transport of Recyclables

Covers vehicle types, route optimization, baling for transport, and chain-of-custody documentation. Efficient logistics reduce material degradation before processing.

Lesson 2 • Contamination in Collected Streams

Defines contamination types—food residue, non-target materials, and hazardous items—and their downstream effects. Contamination control begins at the collection stage.

Lesson 3 • Sources of Plastic Waste

Identifies residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural waste streams. Understanding source differences prepares students to manage varying contamination levels.

Lesson 4 • Collection System Models

Compares curbside, drop-off, deposit-return, and extended producer responsibility models. Each model affects material quality and program economics.

Lesson 1 • Mechanical Separation Equipment

Explains screens, trommels, ballistic separators, and air classifiers. Each machine targets specific physical properties to separate material fractions.

Lesson 2 • Sorting Facility Layout and Throughput

Addresses material flow design, bottleneck analysis, and throughput optimization. Facility layout decisions directly affect sorting purity and operational cost.

Lesson 3 • Density-Based Separation Methods

Covers float-sink tanks, hydrocyclones, and dense-media separation. Density differences between resins enable precise separation without chemical inputs.

Lesson 4 • Optical and Spectroscopic Sorting

Details near-infrared, visible-spectrum, and X-ray fluorescence sorting systems. Spectroscopic methods achieve resin-level accuracy at high throughput speeds.

Lesson 1 • Extrusion and Pelletizing

Details single-screw and twin-screw extruder operation, melt filtration, and pellet cutting. Pellet quality sets the value and usability of recycled material.

Lesson 2 • Size Reduction and Shredding

Covers shredder types, blade configurations, and particle size targets for downstream processing. Proper size reduction improves washing efficiency and melt uniformity.

Lesson 3 • Washing and Decontamination

Explains hot-wash, friction-wash, and caustic-wash systems for removing labels, adhesives, and food residue. Clean flake quality determines end-market acceptance.

Lesson 4 • Drying and Moisture Control

Covers centrifugal dryers, thermal dryers, and moisture content targets for extrusion. Excess moisture causes voids and degradation during melt processing.

Lesson 1 • Depolymerization Processes

Covers glycolysis, methanolysis, and hydrolysis for breaking condensation polymers back to monomers. Depolymerization enables true closed-loop recycling for PET and nylon.

Lesson 2 • Overview of Chemical Recycling Pathways

Maps the landscape of chemical recycling technologies and their target feedstocks. Positions chemical recycling relative to mechanical recycling in the value chain.

Lesson 3 • Solvent-Based Purification

Describes dissolution-precipitation processes that remove additives and contaminants from polymer chains. Solvent methods recover near-virgin-quality material from difficult streams.

Lesson 4 • Pyrolysis and Gasification

Explains thermal cracking of mixed plastics into pyrolysis oil, syngas, and char. These outputs substitute for fossil feedstocks in petrochemical production.

Lesson 1 • Wastewater and Air Emissions Management

Covers wash-water treatment, volatile organic compound controls, and stack emission monitoring. Environmental compliance protects operating licenses and community relations.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment

Specifies PPE selection, fit-testing, maintenance, and disposal for recycling environments. Correct PPE use reduces injury and illness rates on the facility floor.

Lesson 3 • Fire and Explosion Prevention

Addresses combustible dust, flammable solvent storage, and hot-work controls in recycling plants. Fire prevention protects workers, assets, and material inventory.

Lesson 4 • Safety Management Systems

Introduces incident investigation, safety audits, and management-of-change procedures. Systematic safety management drives continuous reduction in incident rates.

Lesson 1 • End Markets for Recycled Plastics

Maps recycled resin grades to packaging, construction, automotive, and fiber end markets. Market knowledge guides investment in sorting and processing upgrades.

Lesson 2 • Contamination and Rejection Management

Covers causes of material rejection, dispute resolution with buyers, and corrective action processes. Reducing rejections protects revenue and customer relationships.

Lesson 3 • Quality Specifications by Resin

Details industry-standard specifications for rPET, rHDPE, rPP, and other key resins. Specifications define the minimum quality threshold for market acceptance.

Lesson 4 • Pricing Mechanisms and Market Dynamics

Explains commodity pricing, virgin resin price linkage, and demand volatility for recycled plastics. Price awareness enables better procurement and sales decisions.

Lesson 1 • Community Education and Behavior Change

Applies behavior-change theory to design public education campaigns that improve sorting quality. Resident behavior is the primary driver of incoming material quality.

Lesson 2 • Program Design and Feasibility

Covers waste characterization studies, infrastructure assessment, and feasibility analysis for new programs. Sound design prevents costly operational failures after launch.

Lesson 3 • Operational Planning and Scheduling

Covers shift scheduling, preventive maintenance planning, and inventory management for recycling facilities. Operational discipline maximizes throughput and minimizes downtime.

Lesson 4 • Performance Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

Introduces key performance indicators, dashboard design, and improvement cycle frameworks for recycling programs. Data-driven management sustains long-term program performance.