Plastic Recycling

Plastics are durable and degrade very slowly, exactly how long depends a lot on the specific type of plastic as well as the environment that it is in. Exposure to direct sunlight helps speed up the process, but decomposition by microbes is quite slow. In some cases, burning plastic can release toxic fumes. Also, the manufacturing of plastics often creates large quantities of chemical pollutants.

Thermoplastics can be remelted and reused, and thermoset plastics can be ground up and used as filler, though the purity of the material tends to degrade with each reuse cycle. There are methods by which plastics can be broken back down to a feedstock state.

Unfortunately, recycling plastics has proven difficult. The biggest problem with plastic recycling is that it is difficult to automate the sorting of plastic waste, and so it is labor intensive. Typically, workers sort the plastic by looking at the resin identification code, though common containers like soda bottles can be sorted from memory. Other recyclable materials, such as metals, are easier to process mechanically. However, new mechanical sorting processes are being utilized to increase plastic recycling capacity and efficiency.

While containers are usually made from a single type and color of plastic, making them relatively easy to sort out, a consumer product like a cellular phone may have many small parts consisting of over a dozen different types and colors of plastics. In a case like this, the resources it would take to separate the plastics far exceed their value and the item is discarded. However, developments are taking place in the field of Active Disassembly, which may result in more consumer product components being re-used or recycled. Recycling certain types of plastics can be unprofitable, as well. For example, polystyrene is rarely recycled because it is usually not cost effective. These unrecyclable wastes are typically disposed of in landfills, incinerated or used to produce electricity at waste-to-energy plants.

Plastic Identification Code
The PIC was introduced by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. which provides a uniform system for the identification of different polymer types and helps recycling companies to separate different plastics for reprocessing. Manufacturers of plastic food packaging and containers can voluntarily mark their products with the PIC.

PIC	Type	Properties	Examples
	Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE)	Clarity, strength, toughness, barrier to gas and moisture.	Soft drink, water and salad dressing bottles; peanut butter and jam jars
	High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)	Stiffness, strength, toughness, resistance to moisture, permeability to gas.	Milk, juice and water bottles; trash and retail bags.
	Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)	Versatility, clarity, ease of blending, strength, toughness.	Juice bottles; cling films; PVC piping
	Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)	Ease of processing, strength, toughness, flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture.	Frozen food bags; squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard; cling films; flexible container lids.
	Polypropylene (PP)	Strength, toughness, resistance to heat, chemicals, grease and oil, versatile, barrier to moisture.	Reusable microwaveable ware; kitchenware; yogurt containers; margarine tubs; microwaveable disposable take-away containers; disposable cups and plates.
	Polystyrene (PS)	Versatility, clarity, easily formed	Egg cartons; packing peanuts; disposable cups, plates, trays and cutlery; disposable take-away containers;
	Other (often polycarbonate or ABS)	Dependent on polymers or combination or polymers	Beverage bottles; baby milk bottles; electronic casing.

(Courtesy Wikipedia)

There are a few companies in Trinidad and Tobago who handle recycling of plastics.

• Recycling In Motion - 674-6073, 675-7485
• Piranha International - 679-7826, www.piranhatt.com
  Will accept PETE plastics.
  Plastics & Aluminium recycling bin located in Augustus Williams Park, Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain (close to the Police Station). This bin is provided by Piranha Int’l and sponsored by: DIRECTV, PSTG, THE EDGE, HOTT 93 etc.