How many times each day do you use something made
out of plastic? From a toothbrush to a soda pop bottle,
from a grocery bag to a garden hose, plastics are
part of our daily lives.
Plastics are desirable products of human innovation,
yet they also have undesirable effects. For example,
plastics that are thrown away become part of the solid
wastes that end up in sanitary landfills. Such landfills
often occupy large areas and many communities have
difficulty finding enough space for new landfills.
Today, many solid wastes, including plastic, glass,
paper, and aluminum, are being recycled rather than
thrown away. Efforts such as these help reduce the
effects of modern technology on the environment.
Recycling plastics is helpful, yet a bit more complicated
than recycling glass, paper, or aluminum. There are
many different types of plastics, and each type requires
different handling in the recycling process. The next
time you pick up a milk jug or 2-liter plastic soft
drink bottle, look at the bottom. Do you see a triangle
made out of three arrows? This symbol means that the
plastic can be recycled. Inside the triangle you will
see a number or perhaps an acronym made up of several
capital letters. The numbers and acronyms are part
of a coding system that identifies what type of plastic
the item is made of and how it should be handled in
the recycling process.
What exactly is a plastic? What are the different
kinds of plastics? How is each type of plastic recycled?
How can plastic waste be turned into energy? In this
WebQuest, you will explore the topic of recycling
plastics and find the answers to these questions.
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Your job in this WebQuest is to learn about the different types of plastics and how they can be recycled. You will explore the properties that make a material a plastic. You will identify the seven different classes of plastics and discover how each typed is used. You will learn what kinds of items can be made from recycled plastics. You will explore waste-to-energy systems that burn plastics and other wastes to produce energy. To demonstrate what you have learned, you will fill out a table summarizing the recycling of plastics and answer three questions.
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Take a look at the table below and read through the questions that follow. Then research the Internet sites that are listed after that. As you explore each site, look for information to fill in the table and answer the questions. Keep a record of the sites where you find answers.
Table for Recycling Plastics
Prepare a table that lists all seven types of plastics. The table will have seven rows under the heading row, one row for each type of plastic. In the left column, write the code. In the next column, write the name of the material (including abbreviation) for that code. In the next column, list items that are normally made with the plastic. In the right column, describe the products that can be made from the recycled plastic. The table has been started for you below.
Table 1. Recycling Plastics
| Code |
Material &
Abbreviation |
How Normally
Used |
Can Be Recycled
As |
| 1 |
Polyethylene terephthalate PET |
Soft drink bottles, peanut butter jars |
Fiber fill for sleeping
bags, carpet fiber, rope, pillows |
| 2 |
High density polyethylene
HDPE |
|
|
| 3 |
|
|
|
Questions about Recycling
Plastics
- What is the difference between thermoplastics and thermosets? Describe how each can be recycled.
- Find out about recycling where you live. Write a short description of the types of plastics that are recycled in your neighborhood or community.
- Plastics that are not recycled can be disposed of with a waste-to-energy system (WTE) that burns the plastics. The resulting heat energy provides two beneficial outputs. What are those?
Consult the following Web sites to find information that will enable you to complete the "Recycling Plastics" table and answer the questions.
- Recycling
plastics is as easy as . . . Go to
the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
site to see a list of the codes used to identify
types of plastic for recycling.
- What
is a plastic? Visit
this site maintained by the Plastics Historical
Society of London, England, to learn about the basic
chemistry of plastics.
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In the process of completing this WebQuest, you have learned what plastics are, what types of plastics exist, and how each of these can be recycled. You have also learned a little about the chemistry and the history of plastics. Finally, you have completed a table that lists each type of plastic, its normal uses, and ways in which it can be recycled.
Think about other types of materials that can end up in the garbage, such as glass, paper, and aluminum. How can they be recycled? Find out if your community has recycling processes for these materials.
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