Plastic

What is plastic made from?

Most plastic is made from the byproducts of oil.  However some plastics may be made from other raw materials such as corn starch these are often bio-degradable.

Why should we recycle plastic?

There are many good reasons why we should recycle plastic, some are listed below.

• It reduces the amount of plastic going to landfill. Plastic going to landfill is a problem as it doesn't decompose easily. Even some of the biodegradable plastics do not rot as they need the sunlight.

• Recycling plastic reduces the need to use oil.

What sort of plastic can be recycled?

There are many different sorts of plastic including:

• PET - fizzy drinks bottles and oven ready meals.

• HDPE - milk and washing-up liquid bottles.

• PVC  - food trays and squash, mineral water and shampoo bottles.

• LDPE -  carrier bags and bin liners.

• PP - margarine tubs and microwaveable meal trays.

• PS - yoghurt pots, meat trays, burger boxes and egg boxes.

How is it recycled?

The first step in recycling plastic is to separate the different types of plastic. This is then cleaned and made into granules.What happens next depends upon what type of product is going to be produced.

What can be made from recycled plastic?

There are lots of products made that include some recycled plastics, the list below does not contain them all.

Fleece jackets, Duvets, Park benches, Fences, Kerb-side boxes, Nail brushes, Combs, Bin liners, PVC Sewer pipes,  Rulers, Pens and Pencils.

But first...Think before you throw.

• Instead of throwing away old toys, containers and plastic bags give them to people who can use them such as scrap stores, play resource centres and charity shops.

• Use plastic carrier bags again as bags or to store things in, as a last resort use them as bin liners.

• Use yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and other plastic food trays to plant seedlings.

• If you buy products in plastic bottles try to buy them from a shop where you can get the bottle refilled.

• Plastic containers with lids can make good storage boxes.

As well as reducing our plastic waste we should also try to buy products that are made from recycled plastic. Try to buy products that are in containers that contain recycled plastic.

Before you recycle please remember....

Make sure the the plastic is clean, wash out plastic bottles. Additionally please remember to  squash bottles and remove the lids.