1. Physical Method
The physical method used in recycling plastics involves physically breaking down the plastics into very small pieces. The plastics are physically crushed into smaller pieces and blended to form a mixture of uniform homogenous quality. The blended mixture is melted and passed through a screen to form strands. This is known as extrusion. After cooling, the plastic strands are cut into pellets to be used as materials for new products.

2. Chemical Method
The chemical methods used in recycling plastics involve chemically breaking down the long-chain molecular structure in plastics into smaller molecules.
Cracking of plastics and depolymerisation of plastics are the two common chemical methods of recycling plastics.
i. Cracking of plastics
Cracking of plastics involves heating the plastic waste to high temperatures in the presence of a catalyst. The long-chain molecules are broken down into smaller molecules. This process transformed the plastic waste into a mixture of gases, liquids and solids. This mixture is then separated and processed to create new raw materials or fuels.
ii. Depolymerisation of plastics
This process involves breaking down the plastic polymer into its monomer units. The monomers can then be purified and used to create new plastics.