Recycling At Home - Plastics
Did you know that carrier bags made from recycled rather than virgin polythene results in the following environmental benefits?- Reduction of energy consumption by two thirds
- Production of only a third of the sulphur dioxide and half of the nitrous oxide
- Reduction of water usage by nearly 90%
- Reduction of carbon dioxide generation by two-and-a-half times (source: Waste Watch)
The Different Types of Plastic -
To make sorting and thus recycling easier, there is a standard marking code to help consumers identify and sort the main types of plastic. These types and their most common uses are:
PET - Polyethylene terephthalate - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays
HDPE - High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids
PVC - Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo
LDPE - Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and bin liners
PP - Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.
PS - Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys
OTHER - Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories. An example is melamine, which is often used in plastic plates and cups.
Degradable Plastics
These are oil based and break down to smaller fragments, however there is always a residue and the plastics do not break down into carbon and water alone.
Biodegradable Plastics
These are capable of undergoing decomposition into carbon dioxide, methane, water, inorganic compounds or biomass. Biodegradable plastics should break down cleanly, in a defined time period, to simple molecules found in the environment such as carbon dioxide and water.
Compostable Biodegradable Plastics
These must demonstrate that they biodegrade and disintegrate in a compost system during the composting process (typically around 12 weeks at temperatures over 50 degrees centigrade.
Disposal of these sorts of plastics
Biodegradable and degradable plastics will not degrade effectively in a landfill site and could potentially hinder the quality of recycled plastic if they enter the plastic recycling system.
How Do I Recycle Plastics?
To make sorting and thus recycling easier, there is a standard marking code to help consumers identify and sort the main types of plastic. These types and their most common uses are:
PET - Polyethylene terephthalate - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays
HDPE - High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids
PVC - Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo
LDPE - Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and bin liners
PP - Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.
PS - Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys
OTHER - Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories. An example is melamine, which is often used in plastic plates and cups.
Degradable Plastics
These are oil based and break down to smaller fragments, however there is always a residue and the plastics do not break down into carbon and water alone.
Biodegradable Plastics
These are capable of undergoing decomposition into carbon dioxide, methane, water, inorganic compounds or biomass. Biodegradable plastics should break down cleanly, in a defined time period, to simple molecules found in the environment such as carbon dioxide and water.
Compostable Biodegradable Plastics
These must demonstrate that they biodegrade and disintegrate in a compost system during the composting process (typically around 12 weeks at temperatures over 50 degrees centigrade.
Disposal of these sorts of plastics
Biodegradable and degradable plastics will not degrade effectively in a landfill site and could potentially hinder the quality of recycled plastic if they enter the plastic recycling system.
How Do I Recycle Plastics?
Local authorities vary hugely in the types of plastic that they collect or accept for recycling. You need to check with your LA to find out which plastics they will take and which ones they won't take. Yogurt pots, for instance, are often not collected for recycling.
