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Disposal and recycling of consumer items: plastic (Disposal (Incineration,…
Disposal and recycling of consumer items: plastic
Disposal
Landfill
Americans generate between 250 and 400 million tons of garbage each year--all of which requires landfill space.
While recycling is increasing each year, so is consumption--Reducing consumption while increasing recycling is the key to reducing landfill usage.
Plastic bottles put into the landfill will take thousands of years to decompose since they are shielded from sunlight.
Landfills create dangerous gasses and are an unpleasant addition to the community.(
http://www.johnsrefuse.com/blog/bid/328025/20-Horrifying-Waste-Management-Statistics-and-Facts-About-Landfills
)
Making its way into our waterways.
Incineration
Waste-to-energy (WTE) trash incineration, which burns waste to generate electricity,
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/jun/14/green-waste-distribution-methods-recycling-plastic-oil-epa
WTE generates 500kWh of electricity per ton of waste
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/jun/14/green-waste-distribution-methods-recycling-plastic-oil-epa
WTE plants are costly to construct
Dioxin, mercury, lead and other toxins end up in the ash that is left over after incineration
Countries with the highest rates of garbage incineration — Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
All incinerate at least 50 percent of their waste
https://e360.yale.edu/features/incineration_versus_recycling__in_europe_a_debate_over_trash
Burning plastic and other wastes releases dangerous substances such as heavy metals, Persistent Organic Pollutants, and other toxics into the air and ash waste residues.
Recycling
Process
producing bio-oil by pyrolysis
the product came from pyrolysis can be used petrochemically and for fuel oil.
Possibilities
When bottles and containers used to make shampoo bottles, laundry detergent etc. are no longer useful they are recycled into new bottles and containers, plastic lumber, picnic tables, lawn furniture, playground equipment, recycling bins and more.
https://www.recycleyourplastics.org/consumers/kids-recycling/plastics-can-become/
When plastic bags and wraps are recycled, they become plastic lumber that is used to make park benches, backyard decks and fences
https://www.recycleyourplastics.org/consumers/kids-recycling/plastics-can-become/
When plastic bottles are recycled they can be made into: t-shirts, sweaters, fleece jackets, insulation for jackets and sleeping bags, carpeting and more bottles.
It takes:
10 bottles to make enough plastic fiber to make a new t-shirt
63 bottles to make a sweater
-14 bottles to create enough insulation (fiberfill) for a ski jacket
114 bottles to make enough insulation (fiberfill) for a sleeping bag
https://www.recycleyourplastics.org/consumers/kids-recycling/plastics-can-become/
Plastic bottle caps can be recycled into batteries for your car, garden rakes, storage containers, reusable shopping bags, yarn, ropes, brooms
https://www.recycleyourplastics.org/consumers/kids-recycling/plastics-can-become/
Plastics are used to make bicycle helmets, child safety seats and airbags in automobiles
https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/plastics/
Exporting
In 2016, the global production of plastics reached 335 million metric tons, with 60 million metric tons produced in Europe alone. China is one of the largest producers of plastics in the world, accounting for around one quarter of the global production.
Plastic imports from China into the United States are steadily increasing as China’s plastic industry grows. Production of plastics in China will continue to develop and include more efficient companies that produce higher quality plastics.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
Plastics have displaced many traditional materials, such as wood, stone, horn and bone, leather, paper, metal, glass, and ceramic.
Key facts and statistics
This year 5 trillion plastic bags will be consumed. That’s 160,000 a second. Put one after another they would go around the world 7 times every hour and cover an area twice the size of France.
Nearly 28 percent of plastic bottles are recycled in the U.S
The amount of waste generated has tripled since 1960.
