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RECYCLING PLASTICS
Introduction
How many times each day do you use something
made out of plastic? From a toothbrush to a
soda pop bottle, from a grocery bag to a garden
hose, plastics are part of our daily lives.
You probably know that plastics are made from
petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. When plastics
are thrown away, they become part of the solid
wastes that end up in sanitary landfills. Today,
many solid wastes, including glass, paper,
and aluminum, are being recycled rather than
thrown away. Some communities are choosing
to recycle plastics as well. However, recycling
plastics is a bit more complicated than recycling
glass, paper, or aluminum.
There are many different types of plastics,
and each type requires different handling in
the recycling process. The next time you pick
up a milk jug or 2-liter plastic soft drink
bottle, look at the bottom. Do you see a triangle
made out of three arrows? This symbol means
that the plastic can be recycled. Inside the
triangle you will see a number or perhaps an
acronym made up of several capital letters.
The numbers and acronyms are part of a coding
system that identifies what type of plastic
the item is made out of, and how it should
be handled in the recycling process. What exactly
is a plastic? What are the different kinds
of plastics? What is each type of plastic used
for? How can each type of plastic be recycled?
These are some of the questions you will be
able to answer when you have completed this
WebQuest on recycling plastics.
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Task
Your job in this WebQuest is to learn about
the different types of plastics and how they
can be recycled. You will explore the history
of plastics and find out what properties make
a material a plastic. You will identify the
seven different classes of plastics, and discover
what each class is normally used for. You will
also learn what kinds of items can be made
from recycled plastics. Finally, you will fill
out a table that lists all of the information
you have learned about recycling plastics.
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Resources
Look at the Web sites given here to find the
information that will enable you to complete
the table on recycling plastics.
- Hands
On Plastics: Background Information for
Students.
Visit this site by the American Plastics
Council to learn about the history of plastics
and polymers and about the chemistry of the
polymers that make up plastics. This is an
excellent site to begin your exploration
of plastics.
- Cleaning
Up the Waste Stream - Recycling Plastics.
Visit this site for a brief discussion of
the difficulties inherent in recycling plastics.
Scroll down to see a chart of the plastic
container code system and a description of
each type of plastic that can be recycled.
- Recycling
Plastics is as easy as .1, 2, 3 (4, 5,
6, 7)!
Go to this New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation site to see another list of
the codes used to identify types of plastic
for recycling. The site also describes two
methods by which plastic containers are made - blow-molding
and injection molding.
- Recycling
Plastics.
At this Colorado School of Mines site you
can read a brief discussion of how plastics
are made, and about the chemistry of plastics.
You can also read about the benefits of using
plastic packaging here.
- History
of Plastics.
Visit this site to learn more about the
history of the plastics industry. The site
discusses the inventions of materials such
as celluloid, bakelite, rayon, cellophane,
nylon, polyvinyl chloride, saran, teflon,
and polyethylene.
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Time
1 class period for research and filling in
the table
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Process
Now that you have completed your Internet
research on recycling plastics, prepare a table
that lists all seven types of plastics. In
the left column, write in the code for each
of the seven plastics. At the top of the rows,
write in the material that each code stands
for and the abbreviation used for that type
of plastic, then the items the plastic is normally
used to make. In the last row, write in what
the plastic can be recycled to make. The table
is started for you below. You will receive
extra points for listing more than one item
under how normally used and can be recycled
as, up to a total of six items under each heading.
Table 1. Recycling Plastics
| Code |
Material &
Abbreviation |
How Normally
Used |
Can Be
Recycled As |
| 2 |
2 Polyethylene
teraphthalate,PET, PETE |
soft drink
bottles |
soft drink
bottles, paint brushes,
carpeting, egg cartons
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| 2 |
High density
polyethylene
HDPE |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
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| 5 |
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Complete the table by adding the appropriate
information for all seven types of plastic.
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Conclusion
In the process of completing this WebQuest,
you've become informed about what plastics
are, what types of plastics exist, and how
each of these can be recycled. You have learned
a little about the history of plastics, and
about the chemistry behind the plastics that
you use every day. Finally, you have completed
a table that lists each type of plastic, what
each is normally used for, and what items each
type of plastic can be recycled into. How does
recycling plastics compare to recycling of
materials such as glass, paper, and aluminum?
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