| Plastic is a substance which is becoming more and | | | | "thermoplastic polymer" and while it is traditionally |
| more common in our society each day. It is | | | | thought of as a hard plastic it can be made softer |
| inexpensive to produce, easy to mold into virtually | | | | and more flexible. PVC is widely used in |
| any form, can be hard or soft and offers an | | | | construction as it is cheap, durable and easy to |
| impressive lifespan. While plastic offers many | | | | assemble. In the hard form PVC is used as vinyl |
| benefits it is our inability as a society to | | | | siding, magnetic stripe cards, window profiles, |
| effectively recycle plastic combined with its high | | | | records, pipe, plumbing and conduit fixtures. In |
| environmental cost that make it so dangerous. | | | | soft form it is used in both clothing and upholstery |
| I Thought We Recycled All Our Used Plastic | | | | Soft PVC can also be used to make flexible hoses |
| While the annual plastic resin production in the | | | | and tubing, flooring, roofing membranes, and |
| United States has been on the rise since the | | | | electrical cable insulation. |
| 1970s, in the past 20 years plastic production has | | | | 4. LDPE - Low-density Polyethylene. LDPE is a |
| doubled, only 3 to 5 percent of plastics are | | | | "thermoplastic" made from oil. Similar to HDPE in |
| actually recycled. According to a recent best Life | | | | our current environmental climate should we still |
| Magazine article, we can expect yearly plastic | | | | be manufacturing new LDPE? LDPE is most |
| resin production in the United States to reach 120 | | | | commonly used for manufacturing containers. |
| billion lbs by 2010. | | | | LDPE is used in dispensing bottles, wash bottles, |
| The Problem With Recycling Plastic | | | | tubing, plastic bags for computer components, and |
| While there are seven different types, one being | | | | various molded laboratory equipment. The most |
| "other," of plastic that are commonly used - only | | | | common use of LDPE is plastic bags. |
| two have much of a secondary life. At least PET, | | | | 5. PP - Polypropylene. PP is a "thermoplastic |
| commonly used in soda bottles, and HDPE, | | | | polymer" which is commonly used in packaging, |
| commonly used in milk jugs, offer some sort of | | | | textiles, stationery, plastic parts, lab equipment |
| real recyclable value. | | | | and loudspeakers . PP is also found in automotive |
| Doesn't Plastic Eventually Biodegrade? | | | | components and polymer banknotes. |
| The short answer is - "No." Unlike many other | | | | 6. PS - Polystyrene. PS is an "thermoplastic" made |
| materials plastic does not biodegrade - instead it | | | | from petroleum. In this way, PS is very similar to |
| photodegrades. When plastic photodegrades it | | | | both HDTP and LDPE. While solid at room |
| breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces of | | | | temperature PS, when heated PS melts only to |
| plastic instead of splitting into simpler compounds. | | | | return solid again once it cools. It's this quality that |
| In our oceans the small bits of plastic created | | | | makes it attractive for a variety of uses such as |
| through photodegradation are actually called | | | | producing plastic model assembly kits, license plate |
| mermaid tears or nurdles. | | | | frames, plastic cutlery, food containers and jewel |
| Managing our Plastic Addiction | | | | cases for CDs. |
| With new plastic being churned out at an | | | | 7. Other. Which means the product is made up of |
| estimated rate of 328 million lbs a day by 2010 - | | | | plastic resins that are not in the initial six or is |
| it seems like an overwhelming addiction. How do | | | | some unique combination of the initial six. |
| we manage this addiction? By reducing our usage | | | | Recyclable Symbol |
| of plastic and by recycling and reusing the plastic | | | | A plastic item that carries a recyclable symbol |
| we already have. As consumers we can actively | | | | indicates it is recyclable. The more you properly |
| chose products in paper and glass packaging and | | | | recycle, the less waste that will end up in our |
| we can choose not to purchase over-packaged | | | | landfills and oceans. Please properly recycle all |
| items - this in turn will force manufacturers to | | | | plastic of this type. |
| make changes. | | | | Does Any Symbol Ensure Human Health? |
| Understanding Recycling Symbols | | | | While theses symbols allow you to quickly identify |
| Recycling symbols can be separated into two | | | | what type of plastic you are dealing with, and |
| groups; "recycled" and "recyclable." The use of | | | | they also let you know if you can recycle it - |
| "recycled" and "recyclable" are both governed by | | | | they don't cover any human health concerns. |
| the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC | | | | For example, let's consider PS or Polystrene which |
| provides guidelines for their use in the document | | | | is used for human food containers and cutlery. |
| "Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing | | | | What is the health effect for humans when the |
| Claims." | | | | PS food containers leach chemicals into the food |
| - | | | | they are carrying through heat exchange? |
| While the FTC governs these standards in the | | | | According to the EPA, "Acute (short-term) |
| United States, on an international level the | | | | exposure to styrene in humans results in mucous |
| standards are defined in the ISO 14021: | | | | membrane and eye irritation, and gastrointestinal |
| Environmental Labels and | | | | effects. Chronic (long-term) exposure to styrene |
| Declarations-Self-declared Environmental Claims. | | | | in humans results in effects on the central |
| You can find the ISO standard here: | | | | nervous system (CNS), such as headache, |
| - csnumber=34425 | | | | fatigue, weakness, and depression, CSN |
| Plastic recycling symbols were originally created in | | | | dysfunction, hearing loss, and peripheral |
| 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI). | | | | neuropathy. Human studies are inconclusive on the |
| Like the FTC and ISO, SPI provides a guide for | | | | reproductive and developmental effects of |
| proper usage of the symbols. | | | | styrene; several studies did not report an increase |
| - [ | | | | in developmental effects in women who worked |
| In January 1995, thirty-nine US states adopted | | | | in the plastics industry, while an increased |
| legislation requiring the use of the SPI number | | | | frequency of spontaneous abortions and |
| codes. | | | | decreased frequency of births were reported in |
| Recycled Plastic Symbols and Numbers | | | | another study. Several epidemiologic studies |
| Plastic items that have been recycled will bear the | | | | suggest there may be an association between |
| recycled symbol on them. The symbol should be | | | | styrene exposure and an increased risk of |
| as close to the bottom center of the product as | | | | leukemia and lymphoma. However, the evidence is |
| possible. Inside the symbol you should find a | | | | inconclusive due to confounding factors. EPA has |
| number which indicates what type of plastic it is. | | | | not given a formal carcinogen classification to |
| The following is a list of numbers and the types | | | | styrene." |
| of plastic they indicate: | | | | Are All Plastics Bad? |
| | | | While there is room for plastic in our world there |
| 1. PET/PETE or Polyethylene Terephthalate. PET is | | | | isn't room for our present plastic addiction. We |
| a "thermoplastic polymer resin" and is commonly | | | | are burning through natural resources, creating |
| used in synthetic fibers, beverage, food and other | | | | incredible waste and all the time neglecting to |
| liquid containers. PET is also used in both | | | | even properly recycle the plastic we've already |
| thermoforming applications and engineering resins | | | | created. Plastic isn't our only option, depending |
| often in combination with glass fiber. It is | | | | upon the application, glass is a much greener |
| considered by some to be "one of the most | | | | alternative. |
| important raw materials used in man-made fibers." | | | | Working together we can actively reduce our |
| 2. HDPE or High-density Polyethylene. HDPE is a | | | | plastic consumption and improve our recycling |
| "polyethylene thermoplastic" made from | | | | rates. Why waste our valuable natural resources |
| petroleum. It takes 1.75 kilograms of petroleum in | | | | on petroleum based plastics when we can |
| energy and raw materials to make one kilogram | | | | recycle? We created this addiction to plastic |
| of HDPE. With peak petroleum production a reality | | | | together, and we need to work together to free |
| in our lifetimes should we still be manufacturing | | | | ourselves from it. Remember by reducing, reusing |
| new HDPE? Milk jugs are commonly made out of | | | | and recycling you are doing your part to fight |
| HDPE. | | | | global warming. |
| 3. PVC/V Poly or Polyvinyl Chloride. PVC is a | | | | |