PLASTIC WASTE

What is plastic?

Broadly speaking any material that shows the property of plasticity i.e. the capacity to undergo a change in shape under external pressure and retain the new shape even when the pressure is withdrawn is called a plastic material. Chemically,plastic is any synthetic or semi synthetic organic polymer i.e. they always include carbon and hydrogen. The development of plastics has evolved from the use of naturally plastic materials to use of the chemical modification of those materials. In the nineteenth century, during the industrial revolution, the development of plastics accelerated with Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanisation of rubber in 1839.Which was followed by invention of parkensine in 1855 by Alexander Parkes, is considered the first man made plastic. The world’s fully synthetic plastic was bakelite,invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term plastics. After the World War 1,improvements in chemistry led to an explosion of new forms of plastics, with mass production beginning in the 1940s and 1950s. Between 1950 and 2017,9.2 billion tonnes of plastic are estimated to have been made.In year 2020 alone, 400 million tonnes of plastics were produced. But why the plastic is so widespread? i

Since plastic was first developed in the 1800s, it has advanced to benefit every manufacturing sector including medicine, transportation, technology, packaging, construction, sport and leisure, agriculture, and manufacturing. Plastics have led to technological advances, design solutions, and financial savings. It’s hard to argue against the fact that plastics have helped make our lives easier, safer, and more enjoyable.Consumers crave plastics to replace traditional materials because they are cheap, versatile, sanitary, and easy to manufacture into a variety of forms.

What is plastic waste then?

Plastic waste, or plastic pollution, is 'the accumulation of plastic objects (e.g.: plastic bottles and much more) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans. It also refers to the significant amount of plastic that isn’t recycled and ends up in landfill or, in the developing world, thrown into unregulated dump sites. In less developed countries, the majority of plastic waste eventually ends up in the ocean, meaning that marine animals are especially at risk. Since the majority of plastic materials take centuries to degrade, all of the plastic that has been sent to landfills still exists — and yet we’re still producing and consuming more of it. Each year, approximately eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans. Some researchers predict that this figure could double by 2025, while others suggest there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050. Over time, ocean currents pull rubbish into the centre, resulting in huge gyres of plastic developing. Eventually, this pulling motion in the gyre causes plastic objects to break down into multiple smaller pieces, polluting the environment and making plastic waste easily swallowed by marine animals. Marine animals can also get caught in plastic objects,which affects their survival. Thus plastics have earned themselves a bad reputation and gradually harms outweigh its benefits.

The irony of plastic and nature

The biggest irony of all that we discover when we look back at the history of plastic is that it was developed with good intentions to protect nature. Scientists really thought they were able to use plastic to preserve scarce natural resources like wood and stone and protect animals from being killed for products like ivory, tusk, horn, and tortoise shells. As we have seen, these positives quickly turned to negatives as plastics began harming our environment by polluting our oceans, soil, and air. As with many environmental challenges we have faced, we need to find new solutions to help keep our ecosystem in balance. 

What can we do as individuals ? 

There is little that can be done about the vast amounts of plastics already in the oceans,but we can still do a whole lot to ensure we won’t be adding much more plastic waste to that already out there.Here are some tips to minimize consumption of plastics ,that can change your life and the life of the planet:

1. Avoid single use plastics such as drinking straws,plates,cutlery made from this material.

2. Remember to take a cloth bag for shopping .

3. Buy more bulk food and less packaged products.

4. Replace plastic tupperware for glass or steel containers.

5. Avoid using cosmetics that use micro plastics.

6. Choose to reuse and give some of the packaging a new purpose.

7. Switch to a wooden toothbrush and comb.

What does every plastic recycling symbol mean and how to recycle it?

Many plastics can be recycled in theory, but according to the UN, only about 9% of plastic waste generated has ever even been recycled. With all the different rules and symbols, it can be confusing for consumers to figure out exactly what each plastic recycling symbol means and how to recycle it. While the universal plastic resin symbol (three chasing arrows forming a triangle) remains the same, the numbers one through seven inside make a significant difference. FYI: Just because a product has the chasing arrows symbol, doesn't mean it's recyclable — it's just an indicator of the type of plastic.

                                                                  

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic for single-use bottled beverages because it's inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle.It can be picked up through most curbside recycling programs as long as it's been emptied and rinsed of any food.And recycled into polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, panelling, straps, bottles and food containers.

HDPE (high density polyethylene) is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially when it comes to packaging.Found in: Milk jugs; juice bottles; bleach, detergent and other household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles.Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and V (vinyl) is tough and weathers well, so it's commonly used for things like piping and siding. PVC and V can rarely be recycled, but it's accepted by some plastic lumber makers.Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mud-flaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

LDPE (low density polyethylene) is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically, it hasn't been accepted through most recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, panelling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile.

PP (polypropylene) has a high melting point, so it's often chosen for containers that will hold hot liquid. It's gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers,just don't forget to make sure there's no food left inside.Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays.

PS (polystyrene) can be made into rigid or foam products — in the latter case, it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. It can leach into foods and is a possible human carcinogen. It is notoriously difficult to recycle. Since foam products tend to break apart into smaller pieces, you should place them in a bag, squeeze out the air and tie it up before putting it in the trash to prevent pellets from dispersing. Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into this one. Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, bullet-proof materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon. These other plastics are traditionally not recycled.

- Harshit