What is the hardest thing to recycle?

Answer 1

Plastic is the hardest material to recycle on earth because:

1: Plastic has to be separated into many different kinds by hand

2: If a mixture of plastic is not recycled together they either contaminate the melt or you get a lower grade of plastic than the originals. This is called "downcucling".

3: Plastics need more energy to recycle than any other materials

Answer 2

The hardest thing to recycle is often considered to be mixed materials or composite materials that are difficult to separate and process, such as Tetra Pak cartons or plastic-coated paper. These materials require specialized recycling processes and facilities to effectively separate the different components for recycling.

Answer 3

The hardest item to recycle are anything that involves styrofoam. It takes much longer for it to degrade compared to that of plastics and metals.

Answer 4

PLASTIC