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Challenge #3 - Recycle as many plastic items as you can

When plastic products became widely available in the 1950s, people were very enthusiastic for the new material, even replacing solid oak tables with futuristic ones made of chrome and plastic.  Plastic items were light, easy to keep clean, they could be made in any colour of the spectrum and moulded into amazing shapes. Synthetic plastics were the epitome of the modern age. But most of all, plastics were long-lasting and disposable and therein lay the problem.  Sooner or later, plastic items get thrown out and pollute the world, turning pristine landscapes into rubbish dumps.  When they do eventually break down they don’t usually add nutrients to the environment and can form into microplastics toxic to living things.

Bear in mind that most plastics are made from fossil fuels and the extraction, transportation and manufacturing processes involve produce billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases.  According the WWF Australia in 2021 of the almost 3 million tonnes of plastic that Australia produces each year, 95% is discarded after a single use and less than 12% is recycled. We need to do better than this as many plastics can be recycled to make useful things.

KNOW YOUR PLASTICS

To recycle successfully you need to know your plastics. Plastic items have a triangular symbol on them with a number in the middle which indicates what type resin the plastic is made from and this can give an indication of if, and how, they can be recycled

1.      Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)

This inexpensive plastic is transparent, lightweight, water resistant and doesn’t react with food or water. It is used to make soft drink bottles and packaging for food and for fibres for making clothing. PET items can go into the recycling bin.

2.      High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

This plastic, made from petroleum, is very versatile and can be a cheap replacement for metal or glass. It is often used to make containers for detergents, bleach, shampoo, conditioners and also in milk containers and bins, as well as bottle caps and piping.  Most HDPE items can be placed in the recycling bin but not in thin plastic bags and cling films.

To recycle cling films, households and individuals as well as businesses can sign up to the GLAD® Food Care Recycling Program - TerraCycle. It’s free and accepts all brands.

3.      Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, Vinyl)

This is versatile and cheap plastic is used a lot in the building and construction industry, (e.g. pipes used in plumbing). It is also used in the transport, packaging, electrical and healthcare industries and for children’s toys. Unfortunately, when it burns it can release toxic fumes which are harmful to health and the environment. There are also worries that its manufacture poses a hazard for the environment. It cannot normally be recycled, although some organisations collect it for reusing.

4.      Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE)

This is a very soft, and flexible plastic used to make sandwich bags, garbage bags and containers. It is resistant to acids, bases and oils and doesn’t release dangerous chemicals. It doesn’t break easily so items made of LDPE can be used over and over again. Some forms of LDPE can be recycled but LDPE items should not be put in the recycling bin.

5.      Polypropylene (PP)

This is a tough, flexible, lightweight, heat resistant plastic that is used to make a range of products including bottles and fibres for clothing and ropes. Some councils will accept it in recycling bins, so you need to check the situation in your locality.

6.      Polystyrene

This plastic is rigid, brittle, hard and most commonly expanded (Styrofoam) to form items such as throw-away polystyrene cups as well as padding used in packaging. It is used for insulation in the building industry.  It is not very resistant to UV light or chemicals. It is manufactured from petroleum. It is lightweight and bulky and difficult to recycle. It can’t be put in your recycling bin and is best avoided

7.      All other plastics

This category covers all other plastic products including those made up of a combination of the other 6 categories. It includes polycarbonate polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fibreglass and nylon. Because it is a miscellaneous group it can’t be put into the recycling bin although some individual items may be able to be recycled elsewhere.