Recycling Plastics

Plastics - the wonder material has touched upon various aspects of our lives since inception in the last century. As the century changed, plastics materials met with more innovations and find usage in our daily lives in more diverse ways than before. However, despite an increase in the number and types of applications, constant technological development has definitely contributed towards reducing the quantity of plastics used in the same application. Today a PET 2 litre bottle is 30% lighter than the bottles introduced in the 1970's, weighing 47 grams today as against 67 grams in the seventies. An HDPE milk jug weighing 95 grams in the 1970's, weighs only 60 grams today while holding the same amount of milk? The thickness of a margarine tub has reduced by nearly 30% over the last 30 years. There are seven (7) major types of plastic resins, each with its special properties or characteristics, used to satisfy most of the demands for today's food packaging applications. Few characteristics that indicate differences in various grades of plastics: * Ability to withstand high temperatures or ultraviolet (UV) radiation better * Ability to seal in moisture or seal out air more effectively * Strength and durability * Lightweight * Transparency * Cost Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) : Developed in the 1940's. It is a transparent, strong, tough plastic that offers excellent gas and moisture barrier properties, making it perfect for bottles for pop, water, mouthwash, salad dressings and many other products. It is resistant to heat, mineral oils, solvents and acids. PET can be designed to be heat resistant for use in ovenproof films and as microwave food trays and boil-in- the-bag products. When recycled, PET can be made into carpet yarns and backing, fiberfill (like the kind found in sleeping bags or ski jackets), paintbrush bristles, cassette cases and many other products. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) : Offers excellent chemical resistance, making it suitable for bottles for medicine, vitamins, milk, juice and laundry products. Recycled HDPE is used to make liquid laundry detergent and motor oil bottles, picnic tables, fencing and drainage pipe. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): It is tough and moderately strong, and is resistant to UV, grease, oil and most chemicals. Clear packaging, cooking oil and shampoo bottles, we well as blister packaging are made from PVC. Used in construction materials, medical and food packaging Recycled PVC products including binders, decking and traffic cones. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE): Offers toughness, high impact strength, high gloss and clarity, good heat stability and chemical resistance, low permeability to water, and good electrical properties. Products include bags for sandwich, milk, shopping and bread, squeezable bottles. LDPE can be recycled into compost bins, garbage and grocery bags and shipping envelopes. Polypropylene (PP): Can meet a wide rage of thermal and mechanical requirements. Syrup bottles, dahi and butter containers are all made from PP. When recycled, PP becomes ice scrapers, brooms, rakes, trays, and oil funnels. Polystyrene (PS) is transparent, light and offers excellent electrical properties. It is used for carry-out food packaging and in medicine bottles. PS is recycled into egg cartons, rulers and office equipment, cassette and video cases, as well as thermal insulation. Other Polymers : A code indicating the product is made of another resin or more than one resin. Some ketchup bottles are made of this plastic. This plastic can be recycled into plastic lumber and other specialty products. To help recyclers identify these different types of plastics, the industry has voluntarily accepted the resin coding system introduced in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry. This resin coding system helps municipalities to better identify the plastic packaging containers and track the various resins found in waste streams to make better informed decisions on their preferred waste management options. Today, almost all plastic bottles and containers are marked with a code 1 to 7 inside chasing arrows to indicate the different resins. Different resins can be recycled into different products. There are also other products, such as plastic lumber, that are made from recycling more than one type of resin together.