Plastic & Different Qualities

Have you ever stopped and wondered how exactly plastic is made? Did you know that there are seven different categories of plastic and that some are more toxic than others. Also, the recycling can be different. By learning more about these categories, you will be able to make more conscious choices and recycle more efficient.

Plastic Definition and Composition

Plastic as we know is everywhere. The name "plastic" refers to the property of plasticity, which is the ability to deform without breaking. Plastic is any synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer. In other words, while other elements may be present, plastics always include carbon and hydrogen. While there is the technology to make plastic from organic polymer, most industrial plastic nowadays is unfortunately made from petrochemicals. The main two types of plastic are thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers.

Thermosets:
Are usually produced and formed into products at the same time—and they cannot be returned to their original state. They generally are formed using heat (“thermo”) and become “set,” concrete. Thermosets include vulcanized synthetic rubber, acrylics, polyurethanes, melamine, silicone, epoxies, and others.

Thermoplastics:
Are able to be re-melted and essentially returned to their original state. Thermoplastics usually are produced first in a separate process to create small pellets; these pellets then are heated and formed to make all sorts of consumer and industrial products. Thermoplastics include plastics you’re likely familiar with: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, nylon, polycarbonate, and others.

Many of us can recognize the plastic packaging of a product but we may not know which category it falls into. However, it is very important to be aware of these categories in order to avoid buying the most damaging plastic to the environment and know more about recycling.

All plastics have a number identification associated with them. These numbers were introduced by the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988 to help people know which plastics are recyclable and how to properly dispose of the others.  

We’re addicted to plastic. But how did the world become so dependent on it in the first place?

Let’s take a closer look at the seven popular types of plastics

#1) Polyetylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET)
PET is the most widely produced plastic in the world. It is used mainly as a fiber (known as “polyester”) and for bottling or packaging. Introduced by J. Rex Whinfield and James T. Dickson in 1940. Interestingly enough, it took another 30 years before it was used for crystal-clear beverage bottles.

The plastics under category #1, are used to make disposable bottles, such as water bottles and soda bottles. Bean bags and rope can be made from this plastic. This plastic is able to absorb odors from the item stored inside it. What’s worse, they are known to leak chemicals over time (another great reason to stop drinking from plastic bottle waters). PET plastics can be safe to use under 60°C. But when you leave a plastic water bottle in your car during warm summer days, it can easily reach temperatures of 60°C, so be aware of that health danger!

PETE plastics make up 96% of all plastic bottles and containers in the United States, yet only 25% of these products are recycled. Be mindful and make sure to recycle code 1 plastics.

#2) High-Density Polyetylene (HDPE)
In 1953, Karl Ziegler and Erhard Holzkamp used catalysts and low pressure to create high-density polyethylene. It was first used for pipes in storm sewers, drains, and culverts. Today, this plastic is used for a wide variety of products.

High-Density Polyethylene products are very safe and are not known to transmit any chemicals into foods or drinks. HDPE products are commonly recycled. Items made from this plastic include containers for milk, motor oil, shampoos and conditioners, soap bottles, detergents, and bleaches.

HDPE is the most commonly recycled plastic because it will not break under exposure to extreme heat or cold. That’s why HDPE is used to make, for example, picnic tables, plastic lumber, waste bins, park benches, bed liners for trucks and other products that need to be durable and weather-resistance. .

Products made of HDPE are reusable and recyclable.

However, it is known that only 12% of all HDPE products created are recycled in a year, that’s why it’s wise to cut down our use, as this durable product also ends up in landfills and our oceans.

#3) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
PVC is one of the oldest synthetic materials in industrial production. It was actually discovered by accident twice; once in 1838 by French physicist Henri Victor Regnault and again in 1872 by German chemist Eugen Baumann. On both occasions, it was found inside vinyl chloride flasks left exposed to sunlight.

Polyvinyl Chloride is perhaps most well known for its use in residential and commercial property construction applications. Different types of PVC are used for plumbing, insulation of electrical wires, and “vinyl” siding.

Is also used in toys, blister wrap, cling wrap, detergent bottles, loose-leaf binders, blood bags and medical tubing. PVC or vinyl used to be the second most widely used plastic resin in the world (after polyethylene), before the manufacture and disposal process of PVC, it has been declared as the cause of serious health risks and environmental pollution issues.

In terms of toxicity, PVC is considered as the most hazardous plastic. The use of it may leach a variety of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, lead, dioxins, mercury, and cadmium. Several of the chemicals mentioned can cause cancer; it can responsible for some allergic symptoms in children and disrupt the human’s hormonal system.

PVS is also rarely accepted by recycling programs, generally less than 1% of PVC plastic is recycled each year, which makes it one of the least recycled materials. This is why PVC is better best to be avoided at all cost.

#4) Low-Density Polyetylene (LDPE)
LDPE was the first polyethylene to be produced. It has less mass than HDPE, which is why it’s considered a separate material for recycling.

As mentioned above, Polyethylenes are the most used family of plastics in the world. Due to the fact that this type of plastic has a simple polymer chemical structure, it makes it easier and very cheap to process. LDPE polymers have significant chain branching including long side chains making it less dense and less crystalline (structurally ordered) and thus a generally thinner more flexible form of polyethylene.

LDPE is mostly used for bags (grocery, dry cleaning, bread, frozen food bags, newspapers, garbage), plastic wraps; coatings for paper milk cartons and hot & cold beverage cups; food storage containers, container lids. Also used for wire and cable covering.

Unfortunately, this type of plastic is quite difficult to be recycled.

Packaging and containers made from LDPE make up about 56% of all plastic waste, 75% of which comes from residential households. Fortunately, many recycling programs are evolving to handle these products. This means less LDPE will end up in landfills and negatively affect the environment!

Although some studies have shown that LDPE could also cause unhealthy hormonal effects in humans, LDPE is considered as a safer plastic option for food and drink use.

#5) Polypropylene (PP)
Polypropylene in was discovered in 1951 by  Paul Hogan and Robert L. Banks of Phillips Petroleum Company. At the time, they were simply trying to convert propylene into gasoline, but instead discovered a new catalytic process for making plastic.

Excellent resistance to heat, PP is widely used for hot food containers. Its strength quality is somewhere between LDPE and HDPE. Besides in thermal vests, and car parts, PP is also commonly used for disposable diapers, pails, plastic bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato chip bags, straws, packing tape and rope.

Same as LDPE, PP is considered a safer plastic option for food and drink use. And although it bears all those amazing qualities, PP isn’t quite recyclable and could also cause asthma and hormone disruption in human. Only about 3% of polypropylene products are recycled.

#6) Polystyrene or Styrofoam (PS)
In 1839, German apothecary Eduard Simon accidentally came across polystyrene while preparing medication. He isolated a substance from natural resin and was not aware of what he had discovered. It took German chemist Hermann Staudinger to research this polymer and expand on its uses.

Polystyrene is an inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with a wide variety of uses. Polystyrene is the Styrofoam, which is commonly used for food containers, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, packaging, and things like a bike helmet.

Because polystyrene is structurally weak and ultra-lightweight, it breaks up easily and is dispersed readily throughout the natural environment. You can now find bits of polystyrene lapping at the shores, and an untold number of marine species have ingested this plastic with immeasurable consequences to their health.

When exposed with hot and oily food, PS could leach styrene that is considered as brain and nervous system toxicent, it could also affect genes, lungs, liver, and immune system. On top of all of those risks, PS has a low recycling rate.

Since polystyrene is lightweight and easy to form into plastic materials, it also breaks effortlessly, making it more harmful to the environment. Beaches all over the world are littered with pieces of polystyrene, endangering the health of marine animals. Polystyrene accounts for about 35% of US landfill materials.

#7) Miscellaneous Plastics (nylon, styrene, fiberglass, etc.)
The remaining plastics include: polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass, and nylon. Of course, there are many differences in the plastics classified as miscellaneous by recycling programs.

Many BPA products fall into this category, which means it’s best to avoid this plastic for food products. It is not very easy to break down these plastics once they are created, unless they are exposed to high temperatures. This makes these plastics nearly impossible to recycle.

BPA - What is it?
Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, has been around since the 1960s. It's a chemical compound that has been used as a component in several different types of plastic, all of which are lightweight, shatter-resistant, and able to withstand high temperatures.

BPA is used mostly to manufacture hard, clear plastics. This means you're most likely to find BPA products all other our house. Some products that might contain BPA include: water bottles, food containers, baby bottles, thermal receipt paper, and canned food (it's in the lining on the inside of the can).

In the past, laboratory studies involving rats have shown that BPA works as an endocrine disruptor. BPA was shown to have an effect on hormones in the rats' bodies, which led researchers to express concern that it could also affect hormones in people ... namely, in small, developing children.

It’s important for everyone to go green and work together in creating a sustainable future. One of the best ways to help save Mother Earth is to recycle. But it’s not always easy to tell what can and can’t be recycled, especially when it comes to plastic. You’re probably wondering:  What do the numbers on plastic mean? What numbers of plastic are recyclable?

Solutions

Now that we went through all the 7 different types of plastic that exist today, we saw that only 2 out of 7 are possible to be recycled and that many can possibly leak hazardous substances in our food, bodies and environment.

With so many plastic alternatives being developed, it will be a good chance to go over some eco plastics that can possibly be the positive change we are looking for.

Plastic Alternatives

1. Plant-based plastics - A.K.A. Bioplastics are made from a variety of sources such as corn, which is broken down into PLA, or polylactic acid. This is incredibly sustainable to produce, as it’s made from the waste products from the production of corn – which is also easy to grow. PLA can be used to make drinks bottles, various food grade containers, as well as films. Eco-heroes Innocent are now making their bottles from 15% PLA.

2. Mushroom root - With Mycelium (mushroom roots, funnily enough, the same stuff that Quorn is made from), packaging is literally grown. Ecovative Design gather agricultural waste, mix it with the mycelium in moulds and then the packaging quite literally grows. You can see how it works here, though I’m not 100% sure it isn’t magic.

3. Seaweed water bubbles - UK startup Ooho have created an edible (and by default, biodegradable) water bubble made of seaweed. Their aim is “to provide the convenience of plastic bottles while limiting the environmental impact”. They have developed manufacturing processes that make this both more efficient and cheaper than producing plastic bottles. The process produces 5x less CO₂ and uses 9x less Energy vs PET production.

4. Corn-starch and sorghum loose fill - EcoFlo loose fill is made from corn starch and can be used the same way as regular polystyrene loose fill. This eco version – which can also be made from sorghum (a crop similar to popcorn) – is biodegradable, odour free, and maybe best of all; static-free!

5. Wood pulp cellophane - NatureFlex is the sustainable younger brother of cellophane, which is made from FSC certified wood pulp, and certified biodegradable. It comes as Uncoated, which is perfect for chocolate and confectionery as well as household items; Semi-Permeable, which can be used for fresh produce and dairy; and Barrier for bakery, snacks, coffee, tea, chocolate, confectionery as well as home and personal care items.

6. Prawn shell plastic bags - Scientists around the world are developing plastic alternatives out of the most unlikely things. One of these is chitosan, which is made from prawn and crab shells, which are usually a waste product. No-one has commercialised this technology yet – but the material has the potential to replace plastic in packaging for food and drinks.

Plastics are everywhere in our lives, but those bottles, utensils, and electronics can take hundreds of years to decompose. Since the material is too useful to abandon, we're faced with two problems: how can we develop environmentally friendly products, and how do we clean up the plastics we've already discarded?

Alternatives to Plastic

Bamboo
Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world, capable of growing up to four feet a day. Most of it is grown organically (though very little is certified organic), and in most locations requires no irrigation or fertilizers.

Hemp
Hemp, because of its very long fibers, rapid growth, and the versatile oil from seed, can be manufactured into many products. It can competitively—both economically and technically. Hemp fiber can be used to make bio-based plastics and construction materials. The long fibers of hemp can be used in making composite plastics which, while not as strong as fiberglass, is strong enough for many applications. There are also worker safety benefits, it's recyclable and is priced lower than glass.

Glass, Paper, Aluminium
Other alternatives to plastic that we can use are glass, paper and aluminium. It’s better to choose these materials when shopping, because firstly they are forever recycled, they don't leak chemicals in the food and aren't so destructive for the environment. However, keep in mind that still use a lot of resource to be made.  

What do you do to use less plastic? By tagging us with #theconsciouschallenge you can share your ideas!

Want to contribute to our Ecological Footprint Bible? Submit us your scientific articles! Mail us at info@theconsciouschallenge.org

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