Plastic waste is not only an environmental problem. It’s a social and economic issue. Recycling becomes expensive when you live in an area without a curbside pick-up. Plastic waste is problematic not just for home but also when it comes to business waste and the need for single use plastics in industry.
Types of plastic waste
The categories of plastic waste include:
Biodegradable plastics
However, these types of plastic are slowly decomposing, not in the landfills but in the natural environment. In a landfill, biodegradable plastics can release methane gas from their breakdown.
Compostable plastics
These are types of plastic that break down in the compost. You can use them for the compost and recycle them.
Macrolide plastics
These are a large group of plastics that do not break down easily. The best option is to recycle them so that they will be used in second life cycles by households or industries as insulation or flooring etc.
Microplastics
The microparticles of plastic that dissolve in the water have been a significant cause of concern. These are also in oceans, lakes, rivers, and even drinking water. Some various plants and animals are suffering from this micro-plastic pollution. This is a large group of different types of plastic. The human body cannot digest these plastics, and they abandon them in small microscopic size particles.
Plastic recycling
There are many steps involved in recycling plastic. Recycling is when plastic waste is used for a second time rather than being disposed of in municipal dumps or landfills.
Steps in recycling
Plastic shredders
These are shredders used to pulverize the waste plastic into small pieces.
Grinders
The ground plastic is then melted and cooked into a smooth liquid passed through a heated filter. The molten plastic then cools down and solidifies, resulting in pure recycled plastic.
Laminators
These machines transform the pure recycled plastic into thin sheets of new plastic items such as bags etc.
Challenges facing plastic recycling
The main challenge to plastic recycling is that recycled plastic items cannot be put on sale again. For instance, old DVD cases that can easily be recycled are not valued by any company, ending up in the landfill.
In addition, plastic waste is a costly problem for your local waste disposal company as well as local governments who prefer to recycle it. Currently, the costs associated with plastic recycling are much more than those for shipping it to landfills.
In the end, recycling is a better choice as it will save the environment and reduce the cost of producing new plastic it
