Surely you have heard of PET or PVC, but today we will name many others that will surprise you or that you did not know existed.
Commercial plastics, for their separation and recycling, are classified from 1 to 7, indicated at the bottom of each object. This allows us to identify, separate and maximize the number of times plastics are recycled.
Plastics have many more differences than we imagine. Not only do their names vary, but so does how they are produced or how they should be used.
They have different ways of sorting. One of them is according to its monomer base in natural and synthetic. The former are of natural origin, such as rubber, cellulose or cellophane, and have derivatives such as rubber or ebonite. The others are man-made and usually derived from oil.
Also according to their attitude to heat, thermoplastics (they melt with heat, but become hard when cooled) or thermosets (once melted they cannot be re-melted, such as varnishes, glues, resins for handles or handles).
Finally, they can be divided according to their structure: semi-crystalline, crystallizable, comfort and amorphous.
Now, what are the advantages and disadvantages of plastic?
We already know well that as a positive point they are low density, moldable, non-corrosive, insulating, versatile and very resistant. But at what cost are we using these materials that bring us more consequences than advantages? They have a high index of contamination, they are not combinable between them, recycling is relative since it cannot be reused for human consumption, besides it is an expensive process. Many of these plastics take years to disappear and also consume a lot of space.
Now we’ll show you some of the best known plastics and others that you didn’t know existed. Do you want to know how easy or viable the process of recycling these plastics is? Pay attention.
We start with the famous PET.
#PET
Polyethylene Terephthalate, a strong, lightweight plastic resin and polyester form that resembles glass in clarity.
PET is easy to store, transport and clean, and its bottles and containers accommodate active lifestyles and the new trends in food and catering.
This plastic is commonly used in food packaging due to its barrier properties against water vapor, dilute acids, gases, oils and alcohols. It is resistant to breakage, slightly flexible and easy to recycle.
PET is the most recycled plastic in the world. The PET recycling infrastructure is well established, from collection and separation to further processing and end use. PET can be recycled multiple times, but for food use only a 1st level of recycling is allowed, after this level it is used for a wide variety of end products such as: fiber, textile fiber fill, belts, and bottles and packaging for non-food uses such as detergents and phytosanitary products.
PET recycling has multiple advantages and consequences.
- Conservation of raw materials – reduces the need for virgin petrochemical raw materials.
- Conversion of recycled PET (rPET) into a virgin equivalent – less energy
- Less energy use – less greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions
RECYCLING LEVEL: EASY
Beverage bottles, food jars, clothing and carpet fibers, some shampoo bottles and mouthwashes
#HDPE
High density polyethylene is a rigid, resistant and strong resin, with a natural milky color.
HDPE has many applications, both on its own and in combination with other materials.
Some examples would be telecommunication cables, cans, plastic furniture, bags, bottle caps, medical fabrics, and much more
It is certainly the thermoplastic with which we are most familiar in our day-to-day life, it is present in such everyday objects as bottles, containers, toys, helmets, cosmetic and food containers and mole type of domestic objects. In fact, it is the synthetic polymer with the highest production volume worldwide. It is odorless, tasteless and non-toxic.
RECYCLING LEVEL: EASY
Detergent and milk bottles, food containers, storage boxes, toys, buckets, pots, garden furniture
#PVC
Polyvinyl chloride. The various components of this material are derived from natural gas, oil and sodium. PVC has in its chemical composition chlorine, hydrogen and carbon, so it is an organic material.
One of the main virtues of PVC is that it is a very versatile material. Thus, it can be as rigid as an industrial pipe or as flexible as a plastic sleeve. In addition, it can be completely transparent or adapted to any color we want.
The negative side of PVC is that during its manufacture several gases are emitted that are harmful to health and are responsible for the greenhouse effect.
RECYCLING LEVEL: VERY DIFFICULT
Credit cards, door and window frames, gutters, pipes, cable sheathing, synthetic leather.
#PP
Polypropylene, is used in a wide variety of applications, including food packaging, textiles, toys, carpets etc. Less brittle than #HDPE
- It is a low cost polymer with respect to benefits.
- It has a high chemical resistance to solvents.
- Easy to mold, especially with heat.
- Easy to color.
- High resistance: This type of plastic when submitted to flexion or fatigue has a high resistance and does not break easily.
- Good resistance to temperatures above 15oC.
RECYCLING LEVEL: FEASIBLE
Bottle caps, straws, lunch boxes, portable coolers, fabric and carpet fibers, tarps, diapers.
#PS
It is the fourth most consumed plastic behind polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC and there are four types: glass, which is transparent, rigid and we can find it in compact disc boxes; high-impact; extruded or extruded, which is usually used as insulation in construction; and expanded. The expanded version is also known as polyspan, porexpan or white cork. It can be found in purchased hamburgers or trays of fresh food products, also as insulation.
RECYCLING LEVEL: DIFFICULT
Thermal cups, egg cups, food trays, packing stuffing, yogurt containers, hangers, insulation.
In conclusion, we are looking at the pros and cons of plastic and recycling alternatives, but what do we do with all the plastic we have used (and will use regardless)? Since that plastic is there, let’s at least give it another life.
There are many ways to do this, at Textil In we use PET fabrics, SEAQUAL, etc, but we strongly believe in the need to use fabrics that are biodegradable and minimize the use of polyester or plastic fibers.
What about you? We invite you to reflect and think for a few minutes on how you could lower your use of plastic at home, we assure you that it is easier than you think.
Fuentes:
https://www.ecoologic.com/reciclaje-de-pet
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre los plásticos PET, HDPE, PVC, PP, PS, PLA?
https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/actualidad/tipos-plastico-segun-su-facilidad-reciclaje_12714/2
Usos y ventajas del HDPELas ventajas y desventajas de los plásticos: alternativas respetuosas con el medio ambiente
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