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Waste : Plastic Recycling Industry |
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by Pranav Gaba | 18-01-2023 01:50
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[DECEMBER THEMATIC REPORT]
Recyclers that process industrial plastic waste are very selective in accepting the collected plastic waste. They are actively looking for plastic waste streams suitable for recycling into valuable products for their buyers. What are plastics made of? First things first, plastics are a finished material which are mainly derived from organic substances found in nature such as cellulose, minerals and fossil fuels. Most plastics however are made up of hydrocarbons readily available in natural gas and oil. Why should we recycle plastic? 1. Plastic recycling helps divert plastics from going to landfills or unintended places such as oceans, beaches etc. 2. Recycling plastic takes less energy and draws less time than making virgin plastic from raw materials. 3. Recycling plastic helps conserve resources, i.e., helps reduce fossil fuel consumption since virgin plastic is directly made from petrochemical feedstock which are natural gas and oil. How much plastic is recycled? In the world every year more than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated, out of which, unfortunately only 9 percent is recycled. Although, not all plastic is recyclable as it is simply impossible with the state-of-the-art technology available with us. But still this is a mind-boggling number as individuals don't take the responsibility for it. What plastic is recyclable? As stated above, some plastics are highly recyclable while others are simply impossible to recycle. The key as to which plastics are recyclable lies in examining the plastic and locating the little triangle made of arrows engraved on it and then look up the number inside the triangle. Triangles with numbers 1,2,4 and 5 can be recycled which also makes it a smart life hack. 1. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) - Polyethylene Terephthalate is the most common form of plastic which is used to produce soft drink bottles, peanut butter jars and salad dressing. 2. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) - HDPE is a thicker form of plastic than PET and is used for a myriad number of products due to its durability. When HDPE plastic is recycled, it is recycled into more bottles and bags. HDPE is a type 2 plastic commonly used in making milk containers, shampoo and soap bottles etc. 3. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) - PVC plastic is a softer plastic which, due to its characteristic of weather and sunlight tolerance, is ideal for outdoor products. PVC is a type 3 plastic commonly used for making plastic wraps, pipes and tubes. 4. LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) - LDPE is used for garment bags and confectionary/grocery bags. LDPE is considered less toxic than other plastics and is relatively safer to use. Upon recycling, LDPE is used for plastic lumber and landscaping boards. 5. PP (Polypropylene) - Polypropylene plastic is rigid and lightweight and has excellent heat-resistance qualities. It serves as a barrier against moisture, grease, and chemicals. 6. PS (Polystyrene) - Polystyrene by the name alone, you can guess its function. We often refer to this material as 'styrofoam' and see it most commonly used in takeaway boxes at restaurants, egg cartons, and for packaging peanuts. At last, now you know all the fundamentals of plastic recycling which makes you 100 percent smarter than you were before since you can now read the labels on the plastics carefully and make conscious decisions based on the knowledge in terms of which plastic material to buy ultimately benefitting the environment. References:- 1. RecyclingInside. (n.d.). Plastic Recycling Archives. https://recyclinginside.com/plastic-recycling/
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Youth
Pranav Gaba
Previous : [Thematic Report,January 2023]...
7 Comments
A nice article. May be types of plastics could be also included in the write up thermo-plastic and thermosetting plastic could also be included along with a brief on the pattern of arrangement of their monomers.
Posted 15-02-2023 21:41
Hello, this is your mentor Minkyung.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the plastic recycling industry. I could gain knowledge on the types of recyclable plastics. I would recommend further research on how much of each type of plastic is recycled and how effective the current recycling process is.
I'll be looking forward to your next report :)
Posted 31-01-2023 22:22
Thank you mentor Yoon!
Posted 25-01-2023 21:55
Hi, Pranav Gaba!
This is your mentor, Yoon.
Thank you for introducing the recycling industry. Your article is well structured with appropriate subtitles.
For topics to write on, I recommend you to read articles in the URL below.
https://www.nature.com/nclimate/
There are a lot of interesting articles related to environmental issues.
Great job on writing the thematic report.
I am looking forward to reading your following report!
Posted 25-01-2023 17:00
Thank you so much!
Posted 19-01-2023 08:07
For Sure Eco Gen !:)
Posted 18-01-2023 20:37
H!! Pranav!
Thanks for your report!
It would be great if you could give our mentors a little bit of time to research the concerns mentioned in your previous report and get back to you.
Until then, let's keep up!
Posted 18-01-2023 10:21