Recycling Plastics!

How is Plastic Formed?

Plastics are produced by combining small chemical building blocks called monomers, which are derived from petrochemical products, through a process called polymerization. In this process, monomers bind together to form long-chain molecules, and these molecules are called polymers. The raw material of plastics is briefly oil. Oil is very important in plastic production. At the same time, gases and coals are also used as raw materials during plastic production.
Monomers bind together to form long-chain molecules, and these molecules are called polymers. Polymers are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as their main component. Polymer chemistry is a branch of science that studies the structure, synthesis, properties, and applications of polymers.

History of Plastic

Although plastic is an indispensable material of modern society, the origin of plastics dates back to quite ancient times. People have been producing plastic-like products using natural materials for thousands of years. However, the modern plastic industry and the discovery of synthetic plastics date to more recent times, especially the 19th and 20th centuries.
The origin of the plastic industry goes back to the early 19th century. In the early 1800s, the first synthetic plastics were discovered. In 1839, Charles Goodyear produced a plastic-like material by vulcanizing natural rubber, making it durable. This was the first step forming the foundation of the plastic industry.
However, the major breakthrough for synthetic plastics happened in the early 20th century. In 1907, Leo Hendrik Baekeland discovered Bakelite, the first thermoset plastic, through the phenol-formaldehyde reaction. Bakelite was a plastic resistant to high heat and chemicals and was widely used for electrical insulation and industrial applications.
The plastic industry grew rapidly with the discovery and commercial production of many synthetic plastic types such as polyethylene, polystyrene, PVC, in the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II, the military and industrial applications of plastics became important, and plastic production and use increased significantly.
In the 1950s, with the development of the petrochemical industry and the emergence of new polymerization techniques, the production and variety of synthetic plastics increased even more. Plastics began to play a major role in industrial, consumer, and packaging sectors due to advantages such as easy shaping, durability, lightness, and wide usage areas.
In conclusion, the emergence and development of plastics is the result of scientific discoveries, chemical processes, and industrial advancements. The properties and types of plastics have been developed over time, and the plastic industry is now one of the most important sectors in the world. However, the environmental impacts of plastics and waste management problems require the research of sustainable plastic alternatives and the reduction of plastic use today.

Types of Plastics

• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET): Used in water bottles and food containers.
• High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): A plastic with high strength and melting temperature, lighter than water.
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): A plastic with high strength, resistant to chemical effects and abrasion.
• Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE): A flexible and transparent plastic. Used in bags, cling films, and milk cartons.
• Polypropylene (PP): A hard, heat-resistant, and chemically resistant plastic. Used in medical materials, carpets, buckets, and caps.
• Polystyrene (PS): A transparent, hard, and brittle plastic. Used as insulation material in foam form. Used in cups, plates, cutlery, and toys.
• Various Plastics: Includes polycarbonate, polylactic acid, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, fiberglass, and nylon. These plastics often contain BPA and are difficult to recycle.

Environmental Impact of Plastics

• They inhibit the growth of important microorganisms: Plastic waste prevents the growth and activities of beneficial microorganisms living in soil and water, reducing soil fertility and water quality. For example, bisphenol A (BPA) leached from plastics inhibits the growth and oxygen production of photosynthesizing algae.

• They break down into more dangerous microplastics: Plastic waste breaks down into pieces smaller than 5 millimeters called microplastics due to natural or human causes. Microplastics mix into air, water, and soil and can enter living organisms, causing health problems. For example, inhalation or ingestion of microplastics can lead to respiratory and digestive system disorders, allergies, cancer, and hormonal disruptions.

• They increase carbon footprint: The production, transportation, and processing of plastics use fossil fuels and release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This accelerates global warming and climate change. Also, burning plastic waste or landfilling it increases greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to reach 15% of the global carbon budget by 2050.

• They negatively affect humans: The negative effects of plastics on human health happen both directly and indirectly. Direct effects are harmful chemicals humans are exposed to from plastics or by ingesting plastics. Indirect effects are health problems resulting from environmental pollution and climate change caused by plastic waste. For example, toxic substances from plastic waste contaminate drinking water, leading to infectious diseases or cancer. Climate change caused by plastic waste worsens living conditions, causing droughts, floods, storms, temperature increases, food insecurity, migration, and conflicts.

• They increase landfill size: Recycling plastics is very difficult and costly. Therefore, most plastic waste is sent to landfills without recycling. Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills, causing landfills to grow larger and fill up. Landfills cause visual pollution, odors, pests, fires, and methane gas issues.

• They cause land pollution: Some plastic waste does not reach landfills and remains in nature. This plastic waste pollutes soil, plants, animals, and humans. For example, plastic waste reduces soil fertility in agricultural lands, hinders plant growth, entangles or is ingested by animals. Plastic waste also spoils natural beauty, negatively affecting tourism and recreation.

• They cause increased flood-like events: Some plastic waste enters water sources. This plastic waste pollutes rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. For example, plastic waste blocks waterways causing flood-like events. Plastic waste also reduces water quality, threatens aquatic life, and complicates fishing and maritime activities.

Which Types of Plastics Are Recyclable?

• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET): Used in water bottles and food containers.
• High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): A plastic with high strength and melting temperature, lighter than water.

Rising Public Reaction Against the Plastic Industry

You might ask here: “Did these companies not know plastics harm the environment?” Of course, they knew; but they did not care. Why should they? The system we live in prioritizes maximizing profits for companies and shareholders as a performance criterion, not “making the environment happy.” There is no sufficient incentive to care about the environment; when it exists, companies care only for public relations value. Thus, the plastic industry did not care about plastic’s environmental effects in the past — and still does not care.
However, the environmental movements of the 1960s and 70s began to see the extent to which plastics threaten the environment and quickly organized large protests. These activists targeting plastic and petroleum companies succeeded in quickly creating a certain awareness of plastics in society. For example, 20 million people participated in the 1970 Earth Day Protest; it was estimated that 1 in 10 Americans at that time took part in these protests!
Evrim Ağacı

The Recycling Lie

The recycling lie is the attempt by the plastic industry and governments to legitimize plastic use by exploiting consumers’ sense of responsibility. Plastic producers and sellers put the “recyclable” symbol on plastic packaging to make consumers think they are being environmentally friendly. However, this symbol only shows the type of plastic, not that it can actually be recycled. Actual recyclability depends on other factors.

Another aspect of the recycling lie is the role of governments and municipalities. The resources spent on collecting and sorting plastic waste are often much more than the revenue from actual recycling. Therefore, collected plastic waste often ends up in landfills or incinerators. Worse, it is exported to poor countries where plastic waste pollutes the environment or harms human health.

If the public believes recycling works, they will not seriously consider environmental issues.

Recycling Process

Recycling plastics is not a simple process. First, plastic waste must be sorted by type, either manually or automatically. Then plastics are cleaned, crushed, melted, and turned into granules. These granules are used to make new plastic products. However, in this process, plastics lose quality and each time lower-quality products are obtained. This starts a process called downcycling. Downcycling is recycling plastics into lower-value products. For example, PET bottles can be turned into textile products, but these textile products cannot be turned back into PET bottles.

Recycling Rates

There is a perception that plastics are recyclable and we can protect nature this way. However, this perception does not reflect reality. Since 1950, only about 9% of produced plastics have been recycled. Recycling rates vary by country, plastic type, and time. For example, in Turkey in 2019, 12% of collected plastic waste was recycled. By plastic type, PET bottles are recycled at 29%, HDPE containers at 12%, and LDPE bags at 4%.

Recycling is Not a Solution

Recycling alone is not enough to prevent plastic pollution. Although recycling makes some plastic waste reusable, it does not offer a solution for most of it. Moreover, the recycling process has environmental costs such as energy, water, and chemical consumption. Therefore, recycling is at the bottom of the waste hierarchy. The waste hierarchy is a concept that prioritizes waste management: avoiding waste creation, reducing, reusing, repairing, recycling, and disposal.

Favilances Maze - Türkiye