Polymers recycling: Areview of recent works

Polymer materials with a range of excellent mechanical properties, low density, durability and low cost, are widely used in the daily needs of contemporary society, ranging from simple packaging to heavy construction. From another side, a continued increase in the use of plastics has led to an increasing amount of plastics ending up in the waste stream, causing in dangerous environmental problems. Recycling is the process for treatment and reusing these wastes. Generally, plastics are made from crude oil so that recycling of plastics helps to conserve this natural resource. This chapter presents a review of the recent works about the polymers recycling. Also it presents the last developments in the recycling of traditional polymers and their blends and composites using the mechanical and chemical methods.