Plastic is one the most useful and popular materials of modern times. It is essential that we optimize the lifespan of plastics as much as possible. Plastic is produced in 300 million tonnes each year worldwide. Most people recycle their plastics.
Plastic is a popular and highly versatile material, and we use a lot of it. Re-using and recycling plastic items as many times as possible can reduce our need to create new plastic.
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This means we can:
- Conserve non-renewable fossil energy (oil).
- Reduce the energy consumption in the production and use of new plastic
- Reduce the amount of solid waste that goes to landfill
- Reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere
The Process of Reusing Plastic
There are many steps to recycling. First, bottles must be taken from homes and businesses. Next, each plastic bottle should be separated from the metal, glass, and any other items that are being recycled. Plastic bottles can also be sorted according to the type of plastic they are made from. After that, the bottles must be cleaned to remove liquids, food residue, and chemical residue.
The bottles are then ground into small flakes. The bottles are then melted and made into small pellets about the same size as a grain of rice. The pellets are then wrapped up and sold to companies that have the ability to melt them into a variety of products. Think about all the plastic toys, gadgets, and other items you have at home. Many of these items are made from recycled plastic.