USES OF PLASTICS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

THERMOSET PLASTICS Thermosets are molded and hardened when processed and cannot be heated and remolded. Examples of thermosets: teflon Thermosets usually cannot be recycled.

THERMOPLASTICS Thermoplastics are plastics that can be molded and hardened and then heated and remolded. This process can be repeated over and over. Examples of thermoplastics: Polystyrene, PVC (polyvinylchloride) Thermoplastics can usually be recycled.

Recycling Numbers

All plastics are assigned recycling numbers and the classification code should be printed on the container. These codes make recycling of plastics easier.

Easy Plastics to Recycle The easiest plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets.

Summary of recycling numbers

Number

Plastic
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) High density polyethylene (HDPE) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Low density polyethylene (LDPE)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Products Cool drink bottles Buckets, crates Food trays Garbage bags Bottle caps Disposable cups, food trays Engineering plastics

Polypropylene (PP) Polystyrene (PS) Others specialised plastics