Usage of Plastic Waste

to Control the
Environmental
Pollution
 Chapter No. 01

Introduction Of
Plastic,
Classification
and types of
Plastics
 1. Introduction

Plastic is material consisting of any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic

compounds that are malleable and so can be molded into solid objects.
Plasticity is the general property of all materials which can deform irreversibly without breaking
but, in the class of moldable polymers, this occurs to such a degree that their actual name derives
from this specific ability.
Most plastic contain organic polymers. So, plastics mostly have chain structure.
Plastics have different types: some types due to their properties and some of them due to their uses.
Plastic used in our daily lives in many ways like plastic is used for food and non-food packaging.
It is use in making of vehicles due to its lightweight and durable property. Plastics can make your
home more energy-efficient. Plastic sealants and caulks can seal up window leaks and plastic foam
weather stripping can make doors and windows draft-free. Plastics are used in many sports to
increase athlete efficiency and safety. Plastic helmets used in many sports, from football to
skateboarding made from molded polycarbonate with interior plastic foam padding reduce head
injuries. Also, it is use in medicine for increase the efficiency and hygiene of medicine from the
surgery suite to the physician’s office. Plastic’s strength, light weight, and moldability have
revolutionized electronics. Plastic cables and cords on everything from computers to paper
shredders keep electronics powered.
Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags
are used every minute. A plastic bag has an average “working life” of 15 minutes.100.7 billion
plastic beverage bottles were sold in the U.S. in 2014, or 315 bottles per person. 14% of all litter
comes from beverage containers.
Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material
into useful products. Since the vast majority of plastic is non-biodegradable, recycling is a part of
global efforts to reduce plastic in the waste stream, especially the approximately 8 million tons of
waste plastic that enters the Earth's ocean every year.
There are six common types of plastics as PP, PVC, PS, HDPE, LDPE and PET.
Currently, around 50% of plastics we use are thrown away just after a single use. Plastics account
for 10% of total global waste generation. Plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade. The
plastics that end up in the oceans break down into small pieces and every year around 100,000
marine mammals and one million seabirds get killed eating those small pieces of plastics.
The step by step process of plastic recycling is Collection, Sorting, Shredding, Cleaning, Melting,
Making of pellets.
Plastics should be recycled because of a number of reasons as Provision of a Sustainable Source
of Raw Materials, Reduces Environmental Problems, Reduces Landfill Problems, consumes less
energy, Encourages a Sustainable Lifestyle among People.
There are some processes of recycling of plastics as thermal depolymerization, Waste plastic
pyrolysis to fuel oil, heat compression, distributed recycling.
The quantity of post-consumer plastics recycled has increased every year since at least 1990, but
rates lag far behind those of other items, such as newspaper (about 80%) and corrugated fiberboard
(about 70%). Overall, U.S. post-consumer plastic waste for 2008 was estimated at 33.6 million
tons; 2.2 million tons (6.5%) were recycled and 2.6 million tons (8%) were burned for energy;
28.9 million tons, or 86%, were discarded in landfills.

1.1 Structure

Most plastics contain organic polymers. The vast majority of these polymers are formed from
chains of carbon atoms, 'pure' or with the addition of: oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur. The chains
comprise many repeat units, formed from monomers. Each polymer chain will have several
thousand repeating units.
The backbone is the part of the chain that is on the "main path", linking together a large number
of repeat units.
To customize the properties of a plastic, different molecular groups "hang" from this backbone.
These pendant units are usually "hung" on the monomers, before the monomers themselves are
linked together to form the polymer chain. It is the structure of these side chains that influences
the properties of the polymer.
The molecular structure of the repeating unit can be fine-tuned to influence specific properties in
the polymer.

1.2 Properties and classifications

Plastics are usually classified by:
1. The chemical structure of the polymer's backbone
2. Side chains

Some important groups in these classifications are:

1. The acrylics
2. Polyesters
3. Silicones
4. Polyurethanes
5. Halogenated plastics

Plastics can also be classified by the chemical process used in their synthesis, such as:
1. Condensation
2. Polyaddition
3. Cross-linking

Plastics can also be classified by their various physical properties, such as:
1. Hardness
2. Density
3. Tensile strength
4. Resistance to heat and glass transition temperature
By their chemical properties, such as the organic chemistry of the polymer and its resistance and
reaction to various chemical products and processes, such as:
1. Organic solvents
2. Oxidation
3. Ionizing radiation

1.2.1 Thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers

One important classification of plastics is by the permanence or impermanence of their form, or

whether they are: thermoplastics or thermosetting polymers. Thermoplastics are the plastics that,
when heated, do not undergo chemical change in their composition and so can be molded again
and again. Examples include: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and
polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Common thermoplastics range from 20,000 to 500,000 amu, while
thermosets are assumed to have infinite molecular weight.
Thermosets, or thermosetting polymers, can melt and take shape only once: after they have
solidified, they stay solid. In the thermosetting process, a chemical reaction occurs that is
irreversible. The vulcanization of rubber is an example of a thermosetting process: before heating
with sulfur, the polyisoprene is a tacky, slightly runny material; after vulcanization, the product is
rigid and non-tacky.

1.2.2 Amorphous plastics and crystalline plastics

Many plastics are completely amorphous, such as: all thermosets; polystyrene and its copolymers;
and polymethyl methacrylate.
However, some plastics are partially crystalline and partially amorphous in molecular structure,
giving them both a melting point, the temperature at which the attractive intermolecular forces are
overcome, and also one or more glass transitions, the temperatures above which the extent of
localized molecular flexibility is substantially increased. These so-called semi-crystalline plastics
include: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamides (nylons), polyesters and
some polyurethanes.

1.2.3 Conductive polymers

Intrinsically Conducting Polymers (ICP) are organic polymers that conduct electricity. While
plastics can be made electrically conductive, with a conductivity of up to 80 kS/cm in stretch-
oriented polyacetylene, they are still no match for most metals like copper which have a
conductivity of several hundred kS/cm. Nevertheless, this is a developing field.
1.3 Types of Plastic:
According to uses of plastic, there are many types of plastic.

1.3.1 Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or PET):

PET is the most widely produced plastic in the world. It is used predominantly as a fiber (known
by the trade name “polyester”) and for bottling or packaging. For example, PET is the plastic used
for bottled water and is highly recyclable.

PET plastic water bottle

Polyester Fabric

Three words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of Polyethylene relative to other
plastics and materials would be:

 Wide applications as a fiber (“polyester”)

 Extremely effective moisture barrier
 Shatterproof
1.3.2 Polyethylene (PE):
There are a number of different variants of polyethylene. Low and high density polyethylene
(LDPE and HDPE respectively) are the two most common and the material properties vary across
the different variants.

HDPE plastic container

LDPE: LDPE is the plastic used for plastic bags in grocery stores. It has high ductility but low
tensile strength.
HDPE: A stiff plastic used for more robust plastic packaging like laundry detergent containers as
well as for construction applications or trash bins.
UHMW: Extremely strong plastic that can rival or even exceed steel in strength and is used is for
applications like medical devices (e.g. artificial hips).

1.3.3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC):

Polyvinyl Chloride is perhaps most well known for its use in residential and commercial property
construction applications. Different types of PVC are used for plumbing, insulation of electrical
wires, and “vinyl” siding. In the construction business PVC pipe is often referred to by the term
“schedule 40” which indicates the thickness of the pipe relative to its length.
 Schedule 40 PVC pipe
Three words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of PVC relative to other plastics and
materials would be:

 Brittle
 Rigid (although different PVC variants are actually designed to be very flexible)
 Strong

1.3.4 Polypropylene (PP):

Polypropylene is used in a variety of applications to include packaging for consumer products,
plastic parts for the automotive industry, special devices like living hinges, and textiles. It is semi-
transparent, has a low-friction surface, doesn’t react well with liquids, is easily repaired from
damage and has good electrical resistance (i.e. it is a good electrical insulator). Perhaps most
importantly, polypropylene is adaptable to a variety of manufacturing techniques which makes it
one of the most commonly produced and highly demanded plastics on the market.

Living hinge prototype cap CNC machined from polypropylene

Two short phrases to describe the major benefits of Polypropylene relative to other plastics and
materials would be:
 Unique Use For Living Hinges
 Simple To Manufacture
1.3.5 Polystyrene (PS):
Polystyrene is used widely in packaging under the trade name “styrofoam.” It is also available as
a naturally transparent solid commonly used for consumer products like soft drink lids or medical
devices like test tubes or petri dishes.

Styrofoam peanuts

One short phrase to describe the major benefits of Polystyrene relative to other plastics and
materials would be:

 Foam Applications

1.3.6 Polylactic Acid (PLA):

Polylactic Acid is unique in relation to the other plastics on this list in that it is derived from
biomass rather than petroleum. Accordingly it biodegrades much quicker than traditional plastic
materials.

A cup made from bioplastic PLA

Two words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of Polylactic Acid relative to other
plastics and materials would be:

 Biodegradable
 DIY 3D Printing

1.3.7 Polycarbonate (PC):

Polycarbonate is a transparent material known for its particularly high impact strength relative to
other plastics. It is used in greenhouses where high transmissivity and high strength are both
required or in riot gear for police.

A polycarbonate greenhouse

Two words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of Polycarbonate relative to other
plastics and materials would be:

 Transparent
 High Strength

1.3.8 Acrylic (PMMA):

Acrylic is best known for its use in optical devices. It is extremely transparent, scratch resistant,
and much less susceptible to damaging human skin or eye tissue if it fails (e.g. shatters) in close
proximity to sensitive tissue.
 A laser being directed through an acrylic lens
Two words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of Acrylic relative to other plastics and
materials would be:

 Transparent
 Scratch Resistant

1.3.9 Acetal (Polyoxymethylene, POM):

Acetal is a very high tensile strength plastic with significant creep resistant properties that bridge
the material properties gap between most plastics and metals. It is known for high resistance to
heat, abrasion, water, and chemical compounds. Additionally, Acetal has a particularly low
coefficient of friction which combined with its other characteristics makes it very useful for
applications that utilize gears.

Acetal gears and rack

One short phrase to describe the major benefits of Acetal relative to other plastics and materials
would be:

 Low Friction

1.3.10 Nylon (PA):

Nylon is used for a variety of applications to include clothing, reinforcement in rubber material
like car tires, for use as a rope or thread, and for a number of injection molded parts for vehicles
and mechanical equipment. It is often used as a substitute for low strength metals in applications
like car engines because of its high strength (relative to other plastics), high temperature resilience,
and high chemical compatibility.

Nylon rope
Two short phrases to describe the major benefits of Nylon relative to other plastics and materials
would be:

 High Strength
 Temperature Resistant
 Chapter No. 02

Applications of
Plastics
2. Applications of Plastic

2.1 Plastics and Packaging

Plastic’s light weight, strength, and ability to be molded into any form makes it an ideal packaging
material. Rigid plastic keeps fragile items secure and flexible plastic makes easy-to-carry bags.
Plastic is used for food and non-food packaging. Foods stay fresh longer when packed in plastic,
which reduces waste by reducing the amount of spoiled food that must be discarded and decreases
the amount of preservatives needed to keep food fresh. Advances in plastic technology has made
plastic packaging more efficient: the average packaging weight for a product has been reduced
over 28 percent in the last decade. Plastic packaging is convenient for consumers: clear plastic lets
shoppers view the item they are purchasing and plastic packaging is easy to open. Plastic packaging
protects food, medicine, and other products from contamination and germs when it is displayed
and handled. Plastic also protects consumers. Tamper-proof packaging keeps consumers safe and
child-proof packaging keeps children safe from accidental poisoning by medications or chemicals.
Plastic is shatter-proof, which reduces the potential for injury from broken items.

2.2 Plastics and Transportation

Because plastic is both lightweight and durable, it makes an ideal material for manufacturing cars,
trucks, and other vehicles. Plastics make up ten percent of new vehicle’s total weight, and over 50
percent of their volume. Steering wheels, door liners, and stereo components are made of plastic,
as are less visible parts, such as engine components. As plastic technology advances, many car
companies envision using more plastic to lighten the weight of cars and trucks to make them more
fuel-efficient. For every ten percent reduction in weight, a car or truck will save five to seven
percent in fuel usage. Reduction in vehicle weight translates into a reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions: every pound of vehicle weight that can be eliminated means 25.3 pounds of carbon
dioxide emissions are saved over the vehicle’s life.
Plastics also make vehicles safer and more comfortable. Life-saving seat belts and airbags are
made of plastic. Plastic padded pumpers, door frames, foam door panel inserts, plastic foam filled
roof supports, and pillars are structural components that keep occupants safer during a crash.
Molded plastic fuel tanks are less likely to split apart during a collision and shatter-proof headlights
are less likely to break. The windshield of most cars contains a layer of plastic between two sheets
of glass, which makes the windshield less likely to break during a collision. Plastics are also used
to make the seats and dashboards more attractive and easy to use. Interior features of vehicles,
such as carpets, are often made of recycled PET plastics, giving new life to used plastic beverage
containers.
2.3 Plastics and Energy Efficiency
Plastics can make your home more energy-efficient. Plastic sealants and caulks can seal up window
leaks and plastic foam weather stripping can make doors and windows draft-free. Clear plastic
sheeting for windows improves insulation and decreases drafts in the winter. Plastic blinds,
window shades, and drapes help insulate windows by keeping out the sun in warm months to keep
the house cooler and by keeping in heat during the winter months. Plastic awnings and reflective
films also help shade the home. Many brands of high efficiency LED light bulbs are made from
recycled plastic. Plastic insulation in the walls, floors, attic, and roof of your home keeps heat in
during the winter and out during the summer, which saves you energy and money on your heating
and cooling. Plastic foam spray fills large and small holes in walls, doors, and attics.

2.4 Plastics in Sports

Plastics are used in many sports to increase athlete efficiency and safety. Plastic helmets used in
many sports, from football to skateboarding made from molded polycarbonate with interior plastic
foam padding reduce head injuries and concussions. Mouth guards reduce injury to the teeth, jaw,
and mouth during collisions and plastic foam pads protect players’ shoulders, hips, tailbones,
knees, and thighs from injury. Plastic foam pads down and distance markers in football and foam-
wrapped goalposts protect players from injury during accidental collisions. Soccer players play
with a plastic foam ball and polypropylene netting and benefit from foam shin guards, latex foam
goalie gloves, and light-weight cleats. Even the turf of a football or soccer field may be made of
plastic, which reduces water and fertilizer use and is recyclable. Plastic has many other uses in
sports—from tennis players’ lightweight and strong rackets to beach volleyball’s wound nylon and
plastic ball and runners’ shock-absorbing shoes.

2.5 Plastics and Medicine

Plastics increase the efficiency and hygiene of medicine from the surgery suite to the physician’s
office. Plastic syringes and tubing are disposable to reduce disease transmission. Plastic
intravenous blood, fluid, and medicine bags let health care workers more easily view dosages and
replacement needs. Plastic heart valves and knee and hip joints save lives and make patients’ lives
more comfortable. Plastic prosthesis help amputees regain function and improve their quality of
life. Pill capsules made of plastic ensure correct dosage release in the body over time, which lets
patients take fewer pills. Plastic catheters and balloons allow doctors to open blocked blood vessels
and insert plastic vessel supports to keep them open and dissolve harmful deposits. In addition to
plastic eyeglass lenses, contact lenses, and eyeglass frames, plastics help victims of eye injuries or
disease see again: silicone artificial corneas can restore patients’ vision. Molded plastic hearing
aids assist people with hearing loss to fully participate in conversations again.
2.6 Plastics in Electronics
Plastic’s strength, light weight, and moldability have revolutionized electronics. Plastic cables and
cords on everything from computers to paper shredders keep electronics powered. Plastic
insulation for cables and electrical equipment keeps equipment cool and protects users from over-
heating. Household appliances, from toasters to DVD players, use plastic to make them lightweight
and affordable. The liquid crystalline plastics in LCD flat screen televisions give beautiful pictures
and save energy, using less power than traditional cathode ray tube screens. The touch screens on
mobile phones, computers, and other electronics are made of polycarbonate film. The tiny
microphones in mobile phones are made of polymers for their shock-resistance. Handsets and
earpieces are lighter and more comfortable because of plastics.
 Chapter no. 03

Plastic
Pollution in
the World
3. Plastic pollution in the World
Environmental pollution has become a vile threat to humans and wildlife globally. Today, both the
air we inhale and the water we drink is highly unhygienic. The same goes for the food we consume.
In addition, massive plumes of smoke are emitted by vehicles and motor cars that can envelop all
the big cities of the world.

One of the leading causes of increasing environmental pollution is the world’s growing population.
As the population rises, so does the amount of garbage that people produce. For a better lifestyle
people need effortlessly disposable products, such as soda cans or bottles of water. We have
become a disposable state and nation; however, it is a bitter reality that the hoarding of these
products has led to increasing amounts of plastic pollution in Pakistan.

Plastic is not an inherently good object, as it is composed of major toxic pollutants that have
potential to cause great harm to the environment in the form of air, water and land pollution. In
addition, it has started to impact the natural ecosystem negatively while creating problems for
wildlife and human population such as killing of plant life and posing hazards to animals.
According to a study, about 8 million tonnes of plastics are deliberately dumped into the oceans
globally. They also find their way due to wind and the flow of rivers and release of urban overflow
into water channels. It is shocking to know that the simplest plastic normally used in grocery store
bags take over 100 years to collapse, though the complex ones take between 100 and 600 years or
even beyond that to decompose.

It is estimated that food wrappers and containers produce 31.15% of pollution in the environment.
Bottles and containers cap produce 15.5% of pollution in the environment. Plastic bags cause
11.18% environmental pollution, straw and stirrers produce 8.13%, beverage bottles cause 7.27%
pollution in the environment.

Since 1967, global plastic production has increased from two million tonnes to 380 million tonnes,
almost three times faster than the world’s GDP. Since 1950, the world has produced 9 billion
tonnes of plastic waste. Of that only 9% has been recycled and another 12% incinerated. The rest
of the waste was either dumped into landfills or emptied into the natural environment. There are
several countries that have duly banned the use of plastic bags such as Bangladesh, France and
Rwanda. Pakistan lags behind in these initiatives and is probably years away from a partial or
blanket ban on plastic bags.

Plastic is a valuable resource in many ways, but plastic pollution is an unnecessary and
unsustainable waste of that resource.

 Packaging is the largest end-use market segment accounting for just over 40% of total
plastic usage.
  Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one
million bags are used every minute.
 A plastic bag has an average “working life” of 15 minutes.
 Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last
century.

3.1 Beverage Bottles Alone

 According to the Container Recycling Institute, 100.7 billion plastic beverage bottles were
sold in the U.S. in 2014, or 315 bottles per person.
 57% of those units were plastic water bottles: 57.3 billion sold in 2014. This is up from 3.8
billion plastic water bottles sold in 1996, the earliest year for available data.
 The process of producing bottled water requires around 6 times as much water per bottle
as there is in the container.
 14% of all litter comes from beverage containers. When caps and labels are considered, the
number is higher.
 Chapter No. 04

Recycling of
Plastic
4. Plastic Recycling
Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material
into useful products. Since the vast majority of plastic is non-biodegradable, recycling is a part of
global efforts to reduce plastic in the waste stream, especially the approximately 8 million tons of
waste plastic that enters the Earth's ocean every year.
Compared with lucrative recycling of metal, and similar to the low value of glass, plastic polymers
recycling is often more challenging because of low density and low value. There are also numerous
technical hurdles to overcome when recycling plastic.
When different types of plastics are melted together, they tend to phase-separate, like oil and water,
and set in these layers. The phase boundaries cause structural weakness in the resulting material,
meaning that polymer blends are useful in only limited applications. The two most widely
manufactured plastics, polypropylene and polyethylene, behave this way, which limits their utility
for recycling. Recently, the use of block copolymers as "molecular stitches" or "macromolecular
welding flux" has been proposed to overcome the difficulties associated with phase separation
during recycling.
The percentage of plastic that can be fully recycled, rather than downcycled or go to waste, can be
increased when manufacturers of packaged goods minimize mixing of packaging materials and
eliminate contaminants. The Association of Plastics Recyclers have issued a "Design Guide for
Recyclability".
The use of biodegradable plastics is increasing.

4.1 What types of Plastics Are Recyclable?

There are six common types of plastics. Following are some typical products you will find for each
of plastic:

4.1.1 PS (Polystyrene)
Example: foam hot drink cups, plastic cutlery, containers, and yogurt.

4.1.2 PP (Polypropylene)
Example: lunch boxes, take-out food containers, ice cream containers.

4.1.3 LDPE (Low-density polyethylene)

This is the most common type of recycled plastic. It has exceptional ease of processing; it is strong,
flexible, tough, and resistant to moisture and it’s easy to seal. This plastic is usually used in making
frozen food bags, flexible container lids, freezable bottles just to mention but a few.
Example: garbage bins and bags.
4.1.4 PVC (Plasticised Polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride)

Abbreviated as PVC, polyvinyl chloride has a number of applications. It is versatile, can be bended
easily, it is tough and strong. This recycled plastic is commonly used in the manufacture of juice
bottles, PVC piping and cling films.
Example: cordial, juice or squeeze bottles.

4.1.5 HDPE (High-density polyethylene)

This recycled plastic is known for its excellent stiffness, resistance to moisture, strength,
versatility, toughness and reduced permeability to gas. It is used in the manufacture of water, juice
and milk bottles. It is also used to make retail and trash bags for households and business people.
Example: shampoo containers or milk bottles.

4.1.6 PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)

This type of recycled plastic is tough, has excellent clarity, is strong and has barrier to moisture
and gas. It is used in the manufacture of water, soft drinks, peanut butter and salad dressing bottles
and jars.
Example: fruit juice and soft drink bottles.
Currently, only PET, HDPE, and PVC plastic products are recycled under curbside recycling
programs. PS, PP, and LDPE typically are not recycled because these plastic materials get stuck
in the sorting equipment in recycling facilities causing it to break or stop. Lids and bottle tops
cannot be recycled as well. “To recycle or Not to Recycle” is a big question when it comes to
plastic recycling. Some plastic types are not recycled because they are not economically feasible
to do so.

4.2 Some Quick Plastic Recycling Facts

 Every hour, Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles, most of which are thrown away.
 About 9.1% of plastic production was recycled in the U.S. during 2015, varying by product
category. Plastic packaging was recycled at 14.6%, plastic durable goods at 6.6%, and other
non-durable goods at 2.2%.
 Currently, 25 percent of plastic waste is recycled in Europe.
 Americans recycled 3.14 million tons of plastics in 2015, down from 3.17 million in 2014.
 Recycling plastic takes 88% less energy than producing plastics from new raw materials.
 Currently, around 50% of plastics we use are thrown away just after a single use.
 Plastics account for 10% of total global waste generation.
 Plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade
 The plastics that end up in the oceans break down into small pieces and every year around
100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds get killed eating those small pieces of
plastics.
  The energy saved from recycling just a single plastic bottle can power a 100 watt light bulb
for nearly an hour.

4.3 Process of Plastic Recycling

Before recycling, most plastics are sorted according to their resin type. In the past, plastic
reclaimers used the resin identification code (RIC), a method of categorization of polymer types,
which was developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988.Polyethylene terephthalate,
commonly referred to as PET, for instance, has a resin code of 1. Most plastic reclaimers do not
rely on the RIC now; they use automatic sort systems to identify the resin, ranging from manual
sorting and picking of plastic materials to mechanized automation processes that involve
shredding, sieving, separation by rates of density i.e. air, liquid, or magnetic, and complex
spectrophotometric distribution technologies e.g. Laser, etc. Some plastic products are also
separated by color before they are recycled. The plastic recyclables are then shredded. These
shredded fragments then undergo processes to eliminate impurities like paper labels. This material
is melted and often extruded into the form of pellets which are then used to manufacture other
products. Recycling also keeps plastic out of landfills where it can take 500 years to break down.

The following is a step by step process of plastic recycling:

4.3.1 Collection

Plastics are available in a number of forms for example plastic containers, jars, bottles, plastic
bags, packaging plastic, big industrial plastics just to mention but a few. Due to their nature and
availability, there are plastic collection centres and some business people have ventured into plastic
collecting business as a source of income. Tons and tons of scrap plastic are collected and sent to
a collecting yard where they are then packed and transported to plastic processing plants.
Unfortunately, not all countries have the capacity to recycle plastic. Very few developing countries
can actually recycle plastic. This means that, plastic waste is still a major problem to some
countries in the world.

4.3.2 Sorting

The actual plastic recycling process starts with sorting of the different plastic items by their resin
content and color. This process is also done to ensure all contaminates are eliminated. There are
specially designed machines that help in sorting of the plastics according to their resin content.
Then the recycling mill sorts the scrap plastic by symbols at the bottom of the plastics.
4.3.3 Shredding

After sorting the plastics, the next step is to cut the plastics into tiny chunks or pieces. The plastic
bottles and containers are then ground and cut into tiny pieces or flakes. The heavier and lighter
plastic flakes are separated using a specially designed machine. The separation process helps in
ensuring that the different plastics are not put together or mixed up in the final product. Remember
that different plastics are used to make different items.

4.3.4 Cleaning

After a complete separation, the flakes or chunks are then washed with detergents to remove the
remaining contamination. Once the cleaning process is complete, the clean flakes are passed
through specialized equipment that further separates the plastic resin types. The plastic flakes are
then subjected to moderate heat to dry.

4.3.5 Melting

The dry flakes are melted down. They can be melted down and molded into a new shape or they
are melted down and processed into granules. The melting process is done under regulated
temperatures. There is specialized equipment designed to melt down plastic without destroying
them.

4.3.6 Making of pellets

After the melting process, the plastic pieces are then compressed into tiny pellets known as nurdles.
In this state, the plastic pellets are ready for reuse or be redesigned into new plastic products. It is
important to point out that recycled plastic is hardly used to make identical plastic item or its
previous form. It is in this pellet form that plastics are transported to plastic manufacturing
companies to be redesigned and be used in making other useful plastic products.

4.4 Advantages of Recycling Plastics

Plastics should be recycled because of a number of reasons as can be seen below:

4.4.1 Provision of a Sustainable Source of Raw Materials

Recycling plastics provides a sustainable source of raw materials to the manufacturing industry.
Once the plastics are recycled, they are sent to manufacturing industries to be redesigned and
converted into new shapes and used in different appliances.
4.4.2 Reduces Environmental Problems

Since plastics are non-biodegradable, they pose a high risk to the people and the environment as a
whole. They can block sewer lines, drainages and other waterways leading to blockages and
unwanted pileups. When plastics are eliminated through recycling, the environment looks clean
and inhabitable.

4.4.3 Reduces Landfill Problems

Recycling plastics minimizes the amount of plastic being taken to the ever diminishing landfill
sites. Most countries have designated areas specifically meant for burying plastics. When they are
recycled, these sites will receive little plastic garbage. The remaining areas can be used for other
purposes instead of dumping plastics that do not rot. These areas can be used for agriculture or for
human settlement. It should be understood that human population is growing each day and land is
becoming a problem. Instead of misusing the land for garbage disposal it can be used for settlement
and other important economic activities.

4.4.4 Less Energy

Recycling of materials including plastics requires less energy as compared to making the plastic
from scratch. This saves energy and that energy can be diverted to other important things in the
economy. It is therefore important to encourage plastic recycling in the manufacturing industry as
it will save the economy billions of money. The process of manufacturing plastic using natural raw
materials is expensive and time consuming compared to the recycling process.

4.4.5 Encourages a Sustainable Lifestyle among People

Individuals who have ventured into plastic collection and recycling business will experience
improved lifestyles as they will get their daily income from the business. This will in the long run
improve the economy and boost the living standards of the people. So do not just sit there doing
nothing, embrace plastic recycling activities and improve your economic standards.
In summary, any sort of effort aimed at saving the environment is very important and matters a
lot. Since its inception during the environmental revolution in the late 1960s, plastic recycling is
one of the most encouraged solid waste management programs in the world. Prior to the push to
use of plastic containers by manufacturers, products were packaged in glass, metal and paper.
Therefore, in order to keep our environment clean, reduce landfills, provide a sustainable supply
of plastics to manufacturers, it is important to recycle plastics.
4.5 Processes
There are some processes of recycling of plastics:

4.5.1 Thermal depolymerization

Scientists have estimated that the potential commodity value of waste plastic may be in excess of
$300 per ton when used in process pathways yielding high-value chemical products or to produce
electricity in efficient IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) processes.

4.5.2 Waste plastic pyrolysis to fuel oil

Plastic pyrolysis can convert petroleum-based waste streams such as plastics into fuels and
carbons.
Given below is the list of suitable plastic raw materials for pyrolysis:
 Mixed plastic (HDPE, LDPE, PE, PP, Nylon, Teflon, PS, ABS, FRP etc.)
 Mixed-waste plastic from waste paper mill
 Multi-layered plastic

4.5.3 Heat compression

Heat compression takes all unsorted, cleaned plastic in all forms, from soft plastic bags to hard
industrial waste, and mixes the load in tumblers (large rotating drums resembling giant clothes
dryers). The most obvious benefit to this method is that all plastic is recyclable, not just matching
forms. However, criticism rises from the energy costs of rotating the drums, and heating the post-
melt pipes.

4.5.4 Distributed recycling

For some waste plastics, technical devices called recyclebots enable a form of distributed
recycling. Preliminary life-cycle analysis (LCA) indicates that such distributed recycling of HDPE
to make filament of 3D printers in rural regions is energetically favorable to either using virgin
resin or conventional recycling processes because of reductions in transportation energy.

4.6 Recycling rates

The quantity of post-consumer plastics recycled has increased every year since at least 1990, but
rates lag far behind those of other items, such as newspaper (about 80%) and corrugated fiberboard
(about 70%). Overall, U.S. post-consumer plastic waste for 2008 was estimated at 33.6 million
tons; 2.2 million tons (6.5%) were recycled and 2.6 million tons (8%) were burned for energy;
28.9 million tons, or 86%, were discarded in landfills.
As of 2015, approximately 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of
which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the
natural environment. In 2016 only 14% of plastic waste was recycled globally.
Japan's plastic waste utilization rate stood at 83% in 2014, up from 73% in 2006 and 39% in 1996,
according to the nation's Plastic Waste Management Institute.

References:
1. Life cycle of a plastic product. Americanchemistry.com. Retrieved 2011-07-01
2. Ebbing, Darrell; Gammon, Steven D. (2016). General Chemistry. Cengage
Learning. ISBN 978-1-305-88729-9.
3. Classification of Plastics Archived 2007-12-15 at the Wayback Machine. Dwb.unl.edu.
Retrieved on 2011-07-01.
4. ^ Periodic Table of Polymers Dr Robin Kent – Tangram Technology Ltd.
5. Gilleo, Ken (2004). Area Array Packaging Processes: For BGA, Flip Chip, and CSP.
McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-142829-3.
6. ^ Kutz, Myer (2002). Handbook of Materials Selection. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-
471-35924-1.
7. ^ Heeger, A.J.; Schrieffer, J.R.; Su, W.-P.; Su, W. (1988). "Solitons in conducting
polymers". Reviews of Modern Physics. 60 (3): 781–850. Bibcode:1988RvMP...60..781H.
doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.60.781.
8. http://www.pepctplastics.com/resources/connecticut-plastics-learning-center/perfect-
plastic-how-plastic-improves-our-lives/
9. https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics
10. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/recyclingplastic.php
11. Ellen MacArthur Foundation (19 January 2016). "The new plastic economy rethinking the
future of plastics".
12. "Power and Fuel from Plastic Wastes". Retrieved 23 October 2016.
13. ^ "recyclenation.com". recyclenation.com. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
14. ^ Baechler, Christian; DeVuono, Matthew; Pearce, Joshua M. (2013). "Distributed
Recycling of Waste Polymer into RepRap Feedstock". Rapid Prototyping Journal. 19 (2):
118–125. doi:10.1108/13552541311302978.
15. Kreiger, M.A.; Mulder, M.L.; Glover, A.G.; Pearce, J. M.(2014). "Life Cycle Analysis of
Distributed Recycling of Post-consumer High Density Polyethylene for 3-D Printing
Filament". Journal of Cleaner Production. 70: 90–96. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.02.009.
16. ^ "Steel. CNN. 10 August 2005. Retrieved 9.11.06". Archived from the original on 12
August 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2005.
17. ^ Ignatyev, I.A.; Thielemans, W.; Beke, B. Vander (2014). "Recycling of Polymers: A
Review". ChemSusChem. 7 (6): 1579–1593. doi:10.1002/cssc.201300898. PMID
24811748.
18.