Plastics are the most flexible materials that we utilize. They are used everywhere, whether we are at home or offices, when we go out to a shopping mall and when we are on vacation. However, a greater amount of plastic means greater amounts to be disposed of. Recycling plastic is an important task, but you must know that there are several kinds of plastic, and not all of them can be recycled. The majority of people are not aware of why environmental engineers are so serious about recycling plastic. We must recycle plastic as it makes up a greater amount of solid, it takes millions of years to decompose, it is a major cause of air pollution, and as mentioned before, not every type of plastic can be recycled. Our plastic needs to be reused or recycled.
We can recycle some of the plastics. Plastic products made from the below-mentioned materials can be reused:
- Polystyrene used in the formation of plastic cups, cutlery, and yogurt.
- Polypropylene used in lunch containers and ice cream cups.
- Low-density polyethylene used in making dustbins and garbage containers
- Plasticized Polyvinyl Chloride used in making juice bottles.
- High-Density Polyethylene used in making shampoo and milk bottles
- Polyethylene Terephthalate used in fruit and soft drink bottles.
Presently only PET, HDPE, and PVC can be reused through curbside reusing programs. PS, PP, and LDPE cannot be recycled due to their structure and composition. These plastic get stuck in the machines and cause damage. While dealing with plastics, “To recycle or not” is a serious question. Apart from these, some plastics that cannot be reused are not economically feasible for reusing.
According to the reports, 2.5 million plastic bottles are consumed by Americans per hour. About 9.1% of the total plastic was reused in the USA and 25% in Europe in the year 2015. We throw nearly half a percent of the plastic produced after using it for one time. The global waste contains 10% plastic in it, and it can take 100 million years to decompose beneath the soil. Plastics that settle in the oceans cause the death of marine life about 100,000 animals each year. Around 1 million seabirds have been killed by eating small plastic pieces.
Creating A DIY Plastic Bottle Planter
We can grow plants from plastic bottles by sparkling our DIY soul with the task to transform 2 liters in an engaging indoor planter. These are the steps for making a DIY plastic bottle planter.
- Cut the 2-liter bottle in one-third portions.
- Paint some color on the bottle.
- Use the remaining portions of the body to make ears.
- Paint some face drawings on the bottle.
- Add some soil and seeds in it.
Household bottles
Milk, shampoo, detergent, and cleaner bottles are not heavyweight and difficult, but they are created from separate plastic other than drinking bottles. After recycling these things, we can create new bottles, plastic wood, plastic tables, furniture and play toys, garbage bins, and many other things.
Plastic Caps
Plastic caps help your things to remain fresh, soda to remain fizzy and prevent insects and dirt from getting into your things. Every plastic bottle has a different cap, which is different in both structure and composition. Before recycling bottle caps, you must ensure to place them back on the bottles before wasting them. These caps can be used for various purposes such as Jug caps are used for your making ropes, yarns, and sweepers, and other container caps that can be produced from them.
Plastic Bags
We often utilize plastic bags while doing groceries or shopping things from the mall. They are used to keep our bread and other food items fresh. We even use these to covey fishes to our home from the market. Presently there are numerous shops for collecting plastic bags like Walmart, Target, and many more. We can also reuse the plastic bags given at such places to protect the environment. After recycling, these bags can be used to make plastic lumber/wood that is utilized in making garden benches, fences, and even playing materials. They are used to make new plastic bags, and they are recycled on loop.
Plastic bottles
Bottles that we consume for soft drinks, fruit juices, and mineral water are very handy to take from one place to another because they do not break on dropping down. In the recycling process, they can be made into various products, including fleece T-shirts, sweaters, insulated costumes, hand-carry bags, carpets, and bottles. It usually takes around 10 plastic bottles to produce a new T-shirt, and 63 plastic bottles are required to create a sweater. 14 Plastic bottles are used to produce one insulated costume like a ski jacket. 114 Plastic bottles are recycled to produce one hand-carry bag, and approximately 29 of the plastic bottles are reused in the United States of America for different purposes.