Recycling Plastics

Ecological and social footprint

Oil based polymers are not a sustainable or renewable source of materials.

Sustainable means we can keep supplies of a material going by recycling, repairing or reusing them.

Polymers degrade and we will always need virgin polymers to recycle, so oil based polymers are not sustainable.

To make the use of polymers more sustainable we are looking at natural and renewable sources of polymers. These can include starch based foods such as potato (potatopak) and corn.

Plant and fibre based polymers are constantly being developed that will naturally biodegrade in order to reduce pollution. Scientists are also looking at making plastics from seaweed, coffee grounds and other natural sources.

In the meantime, we all have to take responsibility for our plastic use and be more thoughtful in how we dispose of our plastic products.

Most plastics are derived from crude oil. While this is a naturally occurring source they are fossil fuels which have taken millions of years to produce from rotting vegetation, animals etc.

Given the time taken for these fossils fuels to be formed it is impossible to recreate them artificially.

Most processes involved in the extraction and processing of crude oil into polymers is harmful to the environment.

They are a finite resource which will eventually run out which is why we need to find alternative sources of polymers

Most common plastics will not naturally biodegrade so they end up in land fill and in the oceans.

Single use plastic products are becoming a major concern in terms of pollution of our water and harm to sea creatures.

Micro particles of polymers have made their way into the animals and fish that we eat….we are effectively eating our own waste.

Summary

Polymers are derived from natural sources but more commonly from fossil fuels such as Coal and Oil.
Thermoplastics can be recycled while Thermosetting plastics cannot.
Elastomers are flexible, rubber like plastics.
Biopolymers are derived from plants and starch based foods such as corn and potatoes.
Plastics are increasingly being used to replace wood, metal and glass which are now considered premium materials.
Conventional plastics are derived from a finite source which means they will run out but only a small amount (up to 30%) of recycled plastics can be used with virgin plastic to make new products.
More manufacturers are using plant based plastics in their products. Coke use around 20% recycled, 30% biopolymer and 50% virgin in their plastic bottles.

Revision Notes:

There are three main types of polymer. Elastomers and Thermoplastics can be reformed and are therefore recyclable.
All but one thermoplastics have the term ‘poly’ in their names. All thermosetting polymers either have ‘resin’ or ‘formaldehyde’ in their names.
This will help you remember which category they belong to.
Try and find one good example of a product for each polymer and also how that product is made. This will reinforce your learning on processes later in the course.
All oils are from a natural source (oil, coal) but need to be processed through thermal cracking. These are from a finite source (it will run out)
Biopolymers are sustainable as they are from a renewable source (plants, vegetables etc.)
There are seven categories of materials covered in the syllabus, but you should also be familiar with textiles, glass and ceramics making a total of ten categories. These last three will only be for reference in case an exam question requires reference to them for comparison.
Where possible, these categories have been broken down into three to help you remember more easily. Use this fact to help you identify materials and their uses.
Ensure that you can name one common application for each specific material and never answer a question with a generic term such as ‘wood’ or ‘metal’.
Check your knowledge of these materials at the end of the relevant unit.

Recycling

The chart on the right shows the commonly recycled polymers (plastic materials). The order generally signifies how commonly used the material is. For instance PET is used for drinks bottles so many units are sold and disposed of each day.

In the UK only the top three are easily recycled.

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