METHOD FOR RECOVERING MIXED PLASTIC MATTER

A process for treating mixed plastics waste that comprises macromolecular polymers and low molecular weight polymers is described. The process includes the steps of: introducing the mixed plastics waste into an organic solvent to produce a suspension, the solvent being one in which at least one of the macromolecular polymers is soluble at a specific temperature; maintaining the suspension at a normal pressure and at an operating temperature at which none of the macromolecular polymers dissolve; extracting the low molecular weight polymers from the mixed plastics waste to produce a solution containing dissolved low molecular weight polymers and an extracted mixed plastics waste; and removing the extracted mixed plastics waste. The process can include additional steps, such as dissolving at least one of the macromolecular polymers at a temperature (T1) that is different from the operating temperature and separating the dissolved macromolecular polymer from the remaining polymers before dissolving the low molecular weight polymers.