Polymer composition of river-collected plastic – Report
What types of plastic are found in river-collected waste, and what does that mean for recycling?
This report presents findings from river collection case studies in Aarhus and Gdańsk, highlighting the diversity of polymer types, common contamination challenges, and the practical considerations involved in recycling ocean-bound plastic.
Drawing on case studies from the Aarhus River in Denmark and the Motława River in Poland, the report explores the polymer types found in river-collected ocean-bound plastic and evaluates the suitability of different fractions for recycling, considering the main challenges and limitations.
The findings show that common consumer polymers such as PP, PE and PET are frequently present in these streams. At the same time, contamination, degradation and multi-material products remain important barriers to recycling. The report highlights the need for effective sorting, cleaning and fractionation to improve the potential for circular use of these materials.
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