Plastic is one of the major toxic pollutants of our time.
Being a non-biodegradable
substance, composed of toxic chemicals, plastic pollutes earth, air and water.
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic
solids[citation needed] used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically
polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve
performance and/or reduce costs. Monomers of plastic are either natural or synthetic
organic compounds.
The word plastic is derived from the Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning capable of
being shaped or molded, from πλαστός (plastos) meaning molded.[1][2] It refers to their
malleability, or plasticity during manufacture, that allows them to be cast, pressed, or
extruded into a variety of shapes—such as films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes,
and much more.
plastic recycling
Plastic recycling is the process of reprocessing used scrap and waste plastic into new
plastic material. Recycling old plastic products uses 20%-40% less energy than
manufacturing it from new.
Plastic is created by combining petroleum or natural gas with oxygen or chlorine. This
process requires the burning of large amounts of oil. If we recycled all of our plastics we
could reduce our oil consumption and save 25% of our landfill space.
What types of plastic products can be recycled?
The American Society of Plastics has recognized seven different types of plastic and
has given each category a number, which can be found on the bottom of the plastic
container. The two most recyclable categories are:
Marked “1”
This category contains PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) plastics. These
plastics include:
Soda and water bottles
Mouthwash bottles
Plastic wrap
Peanut butter and other food jars
Salad dressing bottles
Marked “2”
This category contains HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastics. These plastics
include:
Milk containers
Trash bags
Yogurt containers
Liquid laundry detergent containers
Shampoo bottles
Juice containers
It’s important to always wash and rinse out your plastic containers before you take them
to a recycling center.
What are the benefits of plastic recycling?
Here are some benefits of recycling plastic:
Recycled plastic can be made into plastic lumber, which is more durable
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
Can be used to make toys, park benches, car parts, drainage pipes and more
For every 7 trucks it takes to deliver paper bags, it only take 1 truck to deliver
plastic bags
Recycled soda bottles can be reused to make filling for pillows and jackets
The plastic recycling business creates over 200,000 jobs in the U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS REGARDING PLASTICS
Production Problems
Plastic is actually a derivative of petroleum, natural gas or similar substances.
They are transformed into a substance known as polymer resin, which is then
shaped and formed into whatever object is desired. However, as a petroleum by-
product, plastic contributes to oil dependency, at a time when it is generally recognized
that oil will not be available indefinitely. Also, the production method of plastic
represents a major source of air and water pollution.
Plastic Recycling
Although many types of plastics could potentially be recycled, very little plastic
actually ever enters the recycling production process. The most commonly recycled
type of plastic is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used for soft drink bottles.
Approximately 15 to 27 percent of PET bottles are recycled annually. The other type of
plastic which is somewhat commonly recycled is high-density polyethylene (HDPE),
which is used for shampoo bottles, milk jugs and two thirds of what are called rigid
plastic containers. Approximately 10 percent of HDPE plastic is recycled annually.
Landfill Disposal
The vast majority of plastic, especially plastic bags, winds up in landfills. Besides the
fact that available landfill space is becoming increasingly scarce, plastic poses special
problems for landfills.
Most plastic is not biodegradable, which means it does not break down to its simple
component parts. This means it remains present in landfills indefinitely. Another
problem is that birds frequently become tangled in plastic bags and plastic rings for soft
drink cans, either choking or breaking their wings.
Incineration
Some industry officials have promoted the incineration of plastic as a means of
disposal.
A similar process known as pyrolysis bakes plastics into a hydrocarbon soup which can
be reused in oil and chemical refineries. However, both incineration and pyrolysis are
more more expensive than recycling, and each process also poses severe air pollution
problems.
Marine Pollution
A large proportion of plastic winds up in the ocean, where it is often torn into small
particles which are eaten by marine animals.
This causes a possible serious threat to the food chain, as the marine animals are
eaten by other animals which eventually wind up in human diets. Plastic particles
sometimes are so numerous that they appear to be ocean foam if viewed from a
distance.
