Omar Khalid
Plastic is one of the most popular and useful materials in the world today. Unfortunately, plastic pollution is a huge problem for our planet. Every year, humans produce around 300 million tonnes of plastic waste! This plastic ends up in landfills and oceans, lasting for hundreds to thousands of years. That's why it's so important to recycle plastic and turn it into something new. Recycling plastic can help save energy and reduce pollution, and lower threats to the environment and living things. So, how is plastic recycled, step by step? First, we need to collect all the plastic waste from our homes, schools, and businesses. Then, the plastic is taken to a special facility called a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to be sorted. After that, the plastic is washed and shredded. Finally, the clean plastic pieces are melted down and turned into new recycled plastic pellets, which can be used to make all sorts of new products!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Importance of recycling plastic | Recycling plastic helps to save energy and reduce landfill space, and lower emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. It also helps to reduce plastic pollution, which is a huge problem for our planet, with around 300 million tonnes of plastic waste produced globally each year. |
| Symbols and identification codes | Plastics are usually marked with a recycling symbol and a number from 1 to 7, indicating the type of chemicals used and how recyclable the material is. Lower numbers generally indicate higher recyclability. |
| Non-recyclable plastics | Not all plastic items can be recycled. Examples include straws, plastic bags, food wrappers, and items smaller than an ID card. Some types of plastic (numbers 3, 6, and 7) are more difficult to recycle and may require special recycling centers. |
| Collection and transportation | Plastic waste is collected from homes, businesses, schools, and local recycling centers. Local authorities or waste management contractors transport the waste to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) or Plastic Recovery Facilities (PRFs). |
| Sorting | At MRFs and PRFs, plastics are sorted from other materials and further sorted into different types of plastic. This can be done manually or using various techniques and equipment, such as optical sorters, sink-float separators, and magnets. |
| Washing and cleaning | Before further processing, plastics are washed to remove impurities, labels, adhesives, and food residue. This step ensures that non-plastic waste is removed, as it can contaminate the recycled plastic and affect the quality of the final product. |
| Shredding or resizing | The washed plastic is then shredded or granulated into smaller flakes or particles, increasing the surface area and making it easier to process, reshape, and transport. This step also provides another opportunity to remove any remaining non-plastic contaminants. |
| Melting and extrusion | The shredded plastic is then heated and melted, sometimes into the shape of pellets or flakes. These pellets can be sold and used to create new plastic products. |
| Creating new products | The final step is when the recycled plastic is molded or melted into new products. This process may involve different plants specializing in different steps. |
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What You'll Learn
Why recycle?
When we recycle, we turn plastic waste into new products. How cool is that? By doing so, we help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and in the ocean. This also helps to save energy, as it takes less energy to recycle plastic than to make new plastic items from scratch. Recycling plastic also saves a lot of emissions and lowers threats to biodiversity, humans, and the environment.
Recycling is not just important for plastic items, it's also crucial for other materials like paper, metal, and glass. For example, recycling paper can help us cut down fewer trees. Metal is made from valuable minerals found in the Earth, and there are only a limited number of resources on our planet, so it's important to recycle metal too. Luckily, almost all types of metals can be recycled. Glass is another easily recyclable material. By recycling glass, we can help save energy and reduce land and air pollution.
So, why recycle? Recycling helps us protect our planet, reduce waste, and save energy and resources. It's important to remember that not everything can be recycled, so it's our job to learn about the different types of plastics and materials, and how to recycle them properly. Together, we can all make a big difference!
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What can be recycled?
Plastic is all around us, and it is important to recycle it to help save the planet. Plastic can be recycled and turned into new things, but not all plastics are easy to recycle. Some types of plastic are better for the environment because they can be recycled more easily than others.
Plastics are usually marked with a recycling symbol and a number from 1 to 7. This number tells us about the chemicals used to make the plastic and how easy it is to recycle. The lower the number, the more recyclable it is. For example, plastic marked with the numbers 1 and 2, like water bottles and shampoo bottles, are widely recycled in many countries. Plastic marked with the numbers 4, 5, and 6 are harder to recycle and may need to be taken to a special recycling centre. Plastic marked with 3 and 7 is very hard to recycle and often cannot be recycled at all.
Some common plastic things that can be recycled include plastic bottles for water, soda, and other drinks, as well as food containers like peanut butter jars and milk jugs. These are usually marked with 1 or 2, which are the easiest to recycle. Some other plastics, like grocery bags, are not so easy to recycle and can even cause problems at recycling centres because they can get caught in the machines. It is important to check with your local recycling centre to see what types of plastic they accept.
It is also important to remember that dirty plastic cannot be recycled. Before putting plastic items in the recycling bin, they need to be washed to remove things like food, drink, or shampoo. This is because the leftover food or liquid could contaminate the recycled plastic. Small pieces of plastic should also not be put into the recycling bin, as they might cause problems for the machines that sort and recycle the plastic.
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How to prepare plastic for recycling
Preparing plastic for recycling is an important way to help the environment. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare plastic for recycling:
Check the Plastic Identification Code
First, check the plastic item for a recycling symbol and a number. This is usually found on the bottom of the product and will be a number from 1 to 7. This number tells us what type of plastic it is and how easily it can be recycled. Numbers 1 and 2 are the most recyclable, while numbers 3 and 7 are generally not recyclable. Numbers 4 to 6 may only be accepted by special recycling centres.
Wash the Plastic
Before putting plastic items in the recycling bin, make sure they are clean. Dirty plastic cannot be recycled as leftover food, drink, or products like shampoo can contaminate the recycled plastic. Give bottles a rinse and make sure they are empty.
Check the Size of the Plastic
Small pieces of plastic should not be put into the recycling bin as they may contaminate the recycling equipment. As a rule of thumb, any piece of plastic smaller than an ID card should be thrown away in the trash. However, some recycling programs do collect these small items, so it is worth checking with your local recycler.
Separate Different Plastics
It is important to separate different types of plastic before recycling. This is because different types of plastic need to be processed in different ways, and some recycling facilities can only recycle one type of plastic.
Remove Non-Plastic Parts
Make sure to remove any parts that are not made of plastic. This includes labels, adhesive, metal parts, and caps. These non-plastic parts cannot be recycled and will affect the quality of the final recycled product.
Flatten and Shred the Plastic
Finally, flatten or shred the plastic to make it easier to process and transport. This step is especially important for larger plastic items.
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Sorting and processing
Once the plastic has been sorted, it is washed with soap and water to remove any dirt, food residue, or leftover liquid. It is very important for the plastic to be clean before it is processed. After washing, the plastic is then shredded into small plastic flakes or ground into small particles. This makes it easier to process and transport. The plastic is then sorted again to make sure there is no contamination. Some facilities use optical sorting machines, while others use manual picking to remove large items and non-recyclables. Another method is the wet process called the Sink-Float separator, where high-density plastic sinks and low-density plastic floats.
The final step in the recycling process is when the plastic is made into recycled materials that can be used to create new products. The plastic particles are melted and smashed together into plastic pellets. These pellets are sold to be used in the production of new plastic products.
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Making new products
Once the plastic has been collected and sorted, it is washed and shredded into flakes or small plastic particles. This makes it easier to process and reshape. It also gives recycling facilities one last chance to remove any non-plastic waste.
After this, the plastic is melted down and formed into pellets. These pellets are sold to be used in the production of new plastic products. This process is called compounding. The pellets are smashed and melted together into a thick liquid called molten plastic. This molten plastic is then moulded into new products.
Recycled plastic can be made into a wide range of things, from plastic packaging to fabrics, and even more bottles! By recycling plastic, we can turn waste into new products, reduce our need for more fossil fuels, and save energy, landfill space, and emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
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Frequently asked questions
We produce 300 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, which builds up in landfills and oceans, lasting for hundreds to thousands of years. Recycling plastic helps us save energy, reduce emissions, and lower threats to the environment and biodiversity.
Symbols on plastic packaging can explain what type of plastic it is made of and how to recycle it. Plastic items are usually marked with a recycling symbol and a number from 1 to 7, with the number indicating the type of chemicals used and how recyclable the item is. The lower the number, the more recyclable it is.
The first step is to separate plastic from non-plastic materials at a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The plastic then goes to a Plastic Recovery Facility (PRF) to be sorted by type. The plastic is then washed, shredded, and sorted again. It is then melted and formed into new plastic pellets, which are sold to be used in new products.
If the wrong type of plastic is processed at the wrong facility, it can reduce the efficiency of the process and the entire batch may need to be resorted.
Any piece of plastic that is smaller than an ID card should be thrown away in the trash as it may contaminate the recycling equipment.
