Milk Pouches Are Difficult to Recycle; How New Tech Turns Them into Furniture

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a method to recycle discarded milk pouches into strong materials that can be used for benches, podiums and outdoor furniture.

Why Were Milk Packets Chosen as a Material?

• Milk pouches often remain discarded for long periods and are rarely picked up by ragpickers because they have low resale value.
• They are generally made of coloured multilayer polyethylene plastics, which are less attractive to recycling companies than bottles or other high-value plastics.
• Long shelf-life and additives used in milk packets further reduce their desirability in conventional recycling systems.
• Their widespread availability makes them a useful waste stream for developing value-added recycled products.

How Does Technology Work?

• Milk-pouch polyethylene is blended with recycled polypropylene, commonly obtained from items such as old shampoo and oil containers.
• The researchers use vitamers, special molecular links that help incompatible recycled plastics combine into a stronger material.
• IISc has used the recycled material for 3D-printed podiums, with scope for manufacturing benches and other outdoor furniture.
• The technology provides a way to upcycle low-value plastic waste into durable products instead of sending it to landfills.

Are There Other Similar Applications?

• Multilayer plastic packaging, such as used chips and snacks packets, is another difficult-to-recycle waste stream.
• Bengaluru-based Unified Intelligence converts such plastics into durable building materials, including interior wall panels.
• The waste plastic is shredded and processed through thermo-fusion, creating a honeycomb-like structure between outer walls.
• These recycled panels can be lightweight, strong, relatively inexpensive and capable of reducing construction time and water use.
• Wider adoption still depends on developing proper standards and testing protocols for fire resistance, strength and mechanical stress.