Recycling
Recycling refers to the reprocessing of used materials into new raw materials, which conserves natural resources and reduces environmental pollution. A difference is made between mechanical and chemical recycling.
Mechanical recycling
In mechanical recycling, materials such as plastics, metals or glass are shredded and cleaned. The resulting recyclate can then be used to manufacture new products.
Chemical recycling
Chemical recycling breaks down the molecules of the materials into their basic building blocks, known as monomers. This process enables recycling, for heavily contaminated plastics and multi-layer films, in order to return them to the raw material cycle instead of incinerating them.
Due to the greater complexity and increased energy input, chemical recycling is only used when mechanical recycling is not an option.
At uvex
To reduce the carbon footprint and conserve resources, uvex is increasingly focussing on the use of recycled materials and designing products with as few different raw materials as possible to ensure efficient recyclability after use. The uvex pure-fit safety spectacles, for example, are made from just one material, polycarbonate. Therefore they are 100% recyclable at the end of their life.
