Deposing of Plastics

When items made from polymers are finished with they will need to be disposed of. The traditional method of dealing with waste is to 'land fill' it, this involves dumping waste in a hole in the ground

polymers are not biodegradable The problem is many polymers are not biodegradable

This means they are not broken down by microorganisms If dropped as litter then it will remain there until picked up as it will not rot The alternatives are to: Incinerate the plastic Recycle them

If the plastics are incinerated the heat produced can be used to generate electricity Although potentially toxic waste gasses need to be contained and dealt with Also Carbon Dioxide will be released

The best way to deal with waste polymers is to recycle them This is an expensive option as polymers need to be: Collected and Separated

To aid sorting many plastic items have a recycling code on them

Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic bottles, ovenable prepared food trays High Density Poly(e)thene Carrier bags, Yoghurt pots, milk bottles, margarine tubs, cereal box liners Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC) Clear packaging, medical tubing, wire and cable insulation, window frames, drain points Low Density Poly(e)thene Dry cleaning, bread and frozen food bags, squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard. Polypropylene Yogurt containers and margarine tubs, medicine bottles Polystyrene Compact disc jackets, meat trays, egg cartons, aspirin bottles, cups, plates, cutlery. Other or Combination http://www.ides.com/resources/plastic-recycling-codes.asp

Despite the extra effort needed to recycle polymers… … it does have the benefit of reducing the consumption of crude oil This will allow crude oil reserves to last longer