About Recycling Plastics
A lot of what makes up the products and packaging we use on a daily basis is non-renewable. This basically means that the resources used to manufacture them cannot be recreated. What this implies is that once we run out of these non-renewable sources, there will be no way to get it back. Recycling thus is integral to not only a healthy way of life but also a sustainable one.
Oil is the non-renewable resource used in the manufacture of plastics and in South Africa, this area is where the least amount of recycling happens. Plastics are often recycled to make other things like chairs and various containers.
Educating yourself with what kinds of plastics can be recycled will also help a great deal in this respect. Many people are still confused about what kind of plastics can and can’t be recycled and this is most likely why so little recycling in this area occurs.
How To Recycle Plastics
A good tip is to look for the recycling logo on the container, which is usually a triangle with a number in it. This will tell you what kind of plastic it is and whether it can be recycled or not. Usually the numbers 1 thru 7 indicate a plastic that is recyclable; 1 being the easiest substance to recycle and 7 being the most complex.
Failure to separate your household refuse means that it will have to be done at landfills. This is not only unhealthy for the people doing it but it also taints the recyclable materials therein. Therefore it is a good idea to have separate refuse bins for your different kinds of recyclable materials.
There is a wash and squash rule with recyclers which simply means that before you take your plastics away to be recycled, you should clean them and squash them for ease of packing. You can leave whatever paper labels there may be but all plastic caps must be discarded. The caps on bottles are generally made from a different kind of plastic and cannot be recycled.
You can then take all your recyclables to the local drop-off point in your area or to a place where people purchase recyclable materials. In some areas, there are people who collect recyclables from individual households. This is another option you can explore.
Benefits Of Recycling Plastics
Recycled plastics can be used to make a plethora of products like plastic lumber, toys and car parts to name a few. By reusing plastics in this way, a lot of money is saved in the process and less harm is done to the environment.
If more plastics are recycled and reused then it means that less oil will be required to manufacture more. This means that the depletion of oil as a non-renewable resource will be significantly slower and greenhouse emissions will be considerably less.
By recycling plastics, a lot of space in our landfills will be saved and this greatly benefits the environment. Plastics are non-biodegradable and therefore it is best that they be reused in order to generate energy and reduce our carbon footprint.
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