How To Recycle Plastic - Facts And Reason Why You Should Start

Consumers are getting confused as what can be recycled and what not. But when the question is about plastic they get even more confused as they have no idea if plastic can be recycled or not. Some plastic product making companies claim that they use recyclable plastic but consumers do not know if that is true or not. The plastic recycling code written on plastic containers or other products are not only hard to read but also difficult to understand. If recycling option is easily available people would prefer recycling than buying new similar products. But recycling plastic is bit tricky and requires little more effort and diligence on your part to reach a willing recipient. You must be wondering why it is necessary to recycle plastic at all.

In simple words recycling plastic;

• Conserves energy
• Saves natural resources
• Reduce greenhouse pollution
• Reduce amount of plastic waste going into landfills and natural bodies

As a matter of fact, it takes less energy to make things prom recyclable plastic than with new materials. We are all aware of the oil prices shooting up day by day, did you know if you recycle a ton plastic it saves four barrels of oil thus keeping the oil prices down. Recycling plastic also takes up less landfill space. It is always advisable to sell plastics to kabadiwalas rather than throwing it out with trash. Discarded plastic litters up the surrounding environment making its way into the ecosystem and posing a danger to the marine life. Thus, recycling plastic also saves natural beauty and the marine life.

Most of you wonder how plastic recycling is done so here is how it is done:

Collection – Plastic available in many forms like plastic bottles, jars, containers, plastic bags etc. These items need to be collected first to start the recycling process. You can help in the collection by selling the scrap plastic items to scrap buyers rather than throwing it in trash.

Sorting – The recycling process starts with sorting of the plastic products with the help of special machines that sort plastic products per resin contents and colour.

Shredding – After sorting comes shredding where the plastic products like bottles and containers are grounded and cut into tiny pieces or flakes. These flakes are separated as per their weight so that different kinds of plastics are not mixed together.

Cleaning – After complete separation the flakes are washed to remove any remaining contaminations. Once cleaning is done it is subjected to moderate heat to dry.

Melting – The flakes are then melted in regulated temperature and moulded into some other shape or into granules to make something else.

Making of pellets - After melting plastic granules are compressed into tiny pellets. These are how it is send to plastic manufacturing company to redesign into new plastic products. It is important to mention that recycled plastic cannot be used to make identical plastic items or its previous form.

Plastic bags are recycled into some of the things that we use in our daily life like its woven into some beautiful handbags, used for jewelry, decorative bowls, for cushioning purpose and in some shawls. In case you are sending plastic for recycling you should always find out which kind of plastic dose the municipality accepts for recycling. They generally accept numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 as the demand for these qualities are high and thus it is easier to find buyers.

It is high time we should start recycling plastic as they are not only polluting the environment but the chemicals are harmful for us as well. The plastic waste which is entering the ecosystem is the real reason for all the water borne diseases.