Recycled polyethylene blends and composites: Current trend, technology, and challenges

Thermoplastics being a modern material had provided significant contribution to human civilization. Polyethylene (PE) being the highest consumed thermoplastic is gaining more momentum in production for application in the field of automotive, electrical, and food packaging. Environmental issues with single-usage trend of PE products had catalyzed various initiative to recycle PE specially to produce recycle PE blends and composites. Even though various laboratory-based development been successfully carried out to produce recycled PE blends and composites but its commercialization is still at infancy. Thus, in this chapter the current PE recycling methods, products, and its applications are being discussed and the challenges faced by industry for full-scale adaption of findings in laboratories are highlighted. Critical analysis on the production and products of recycled PE blends and composites are reported to provide the reader with future trends for practical approach in PE recycling at industrial scale. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.