Question re: plastic and its production.

[Skidmore]

I have a question about plastic production and recycling. Is there really a reason why, from this point on, there ever needs to be new plastic manufactured? With the mound of plastic in the landfills and recycling centers, why can we not push to get recycling capacity increased and old say television & eletronic equip casings, stick pen casings, bottles, product packaging, etc. be forever recycled. I don't really understand the chemistry of plastics or the types of plastics. I just know that I think we should really curtail their use. We certainly need to decrease our use of them. Should we have an active initiative to increase the capacity of recycling plants since I've been told that much of the stuff that goes into the recycling bins ends up in the landfills of the natin anyway?

[Kindigger]

1. I know a little bit

not much but...
Numbers 1&2 plastics can be recycled. Also, a #1 soda bottle can be ground up with the lid on (which is probably a 5 or 7). The company buying the ground plastic will accept it as long as the amount of 'other' aka 'contamination', doesn't exceed a certain percentage. Don't ask me how they can tell, but they can.

The people processing the recyclables are basically slave labor -- many recycling centers are manned by the low-functioning, or people doing community service for a crime. These operations make very little money in the process. The whole thing runs on conveyor belts, and they have no time to remove lids.

The best thing YOU can do to make sure what CAN be recycled GETS recycled is remove those lids. Also remove lids from yogurt, cottage cheese, butter tubs, ketchup bottles -- just because the container is a #2, unless the lid is clearly marked, it is probably a 5.

There are several brands of yogurt, ketchup, cottage cheese, juice that continue to use #5 containers. There's no reason for it. Avoid them, and as I have done in the past, write them a letter telling them you're not buying the stuff until they change the container.

It's the same way with those clear plastic bakery containers. My store bought #6 because they were cheaper. I rode their butts until they switched to #1.

[Skidmore]

3. Thanks, good info.

[trotsky]

2. IIRC, it has to do with molecule length and the strength it imparts.

Plastic that is recycled will never have the same molecule length as newly manufactured stuff, which means it can't attain the same strength or durability. Oh it still has plenty of uses, but until we figure out how to re-create those chemical bonds, there will always be a need for "new" plastic.