Safety
Safety is a huge topic when working with plastic, it’s extremely important to take the right precautions - then you are completely safe. We’ll walk through the dangers of fume exposure and which plastics are unsafe to work with. Please take the information on this page very seriously.
Melt not burn
The first rule is: don’t burn plastic; dioxins are released which a highly toxic compound that has been shown to increase cancer, reproductive problems and immune system damage. It can also greatly damage internal organs and the hormonal system.
If you do need to burn a small piece of plastic to identify its type, then do so taking the proper precautions. You can melt plastic, you just can’t burn it. 🔥
Volatile Organic Compounds
All plastics are made up of large molecules and when melted they make smaller molecule as fumes. These fumes are also called Volatile Organic Compounds and are very dangerous.
The plastic types, ABS and PS created the most fumes: approximately 5 to 7 times more than the other plastics. The safest plastic to melt is PP and PE because they are low in cyclic compounds and they are essentially refined wax. PVC and PA are low in fumes but the contents are harmful to melt. 🫠
Safety Tips
Wash plastic well before melting it. Residues from cleaning products can create harmful fumes.
Never melt different types of plastic, because different plastic types have different melting temperatures. Some plastic will burn before others are melted.
Don’t use a regular dust mask, that won’t work! Make sure you use an activated carbon filter gas mask. And make sure your gas mask is fitted properly! 😷
Try to melt plastic at the lowest possible temperature for the shortest amount of time
If you ever feel dizzy, or it’s hard to breathe, move away from the fumes into fresh air.🪟
Keep away from the fume source - it’s 14 times higher than the recommended maximum exposure. If there’s no ventilation, you have to have a mask and stand about 2m away.