Did you know that some plastics can be recycled into clothing by the plastic bottle recycling process? In fact, it’s a growing industry with a number of manufacturers producing some stunning attire while helping to protect the environment at the same time. The first step in the bottle recycling process is the shredding. This not only removes any liquid residue but produces the strips that can be wrapped in cellophane,…
To illustrate or play with the idea of recycling you can plastic recycling at home or in the classroom. All you need is some acetone, a several pieces of Styrofoam and a small bowl. (Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer. Most people know it under the name Styrofoam, which is actually the trade name of a polystyrene foam product used for housing insulation. – Yahoo Answers)…
Plastic bag recycling is more complicated than you might think. Just because the bags are made of plastic doesn’t mean they can be thrown into the recycling bin with all the other forms of plastic. Plastic bags and plastic film are different from other forms of plastic. Because the material so flexible, the plastic can wrap around the shafts and other equipment that parts of the sorting process. This can…
Plastic scrap recycling often involves the use injection molding waste. These parts are referred to as runners and sprues. Sprues and runner comprise the conduit that connects the machine nozzle to the machine cavities. During the injection phase of the molding cycle, the molten material flows through the sprue and runner to the cavities. These parts can be reground and mixed with new materials, primarily virgin resin. Creating what is…
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is most commonly known as a member of the polyester group of plastic polymers and the ingredient in all PET plastic products. It was first produced in the United States during the 1940s by chemists looking for a material that could be used to make new textile fibers and it originally gained recognition as a wrinkle-free fiber used for textile manufacturing. In the production phase, pellets of…
Recycling plastic grocery bags can be a problem. Many communities do not accept plastic bags in their curbside recycling set-ups. Unfortunately, many end up in landfills or as unsightly tree trash or simply gone with the wind. Though more of an inconvenience, you can still recycle plastic bags and keep them from cluttering up the environment. To begin, find out if your community’s curbside recycling program will accept plastics bags. If they…
The plastic recycling business is a helpful contributor to maintaining a clean environment. Plastic itself is very lightweight and has many diverse uses. It has the advantage of being relatively versatile and inexpensive and can be used in the manufacture of safe, durable products for sectors like food packaging and medical tools and accessories. While the plastic recycling business is involved in the elimination and reproduction of plastic waste, all…
America Recycles Day, a Keep America Beautiful national initiative, is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Each year, on and in the weeks leading into Nov. 15, thousands of communities across the country participate by promoting environmental citizenship and taking action to increase and improve recycling in America. Through America Recycles Day, Keep America Beautiful and its vast network of affiliates and…
The plastic injection molding process has been around in various and increasingly sophisticated forms since the mid-19th century. The technique of heating the plastic and melting the molten substance into a desired shape is at the heart of the plastic injection molding process. Plastic molding today is considerably different from the rudimentary operations of yesteryear. There have been many advancements. Indeed, by WWII, injection molding became of major import in…
The plastic manufacturing process begins with organic products. These are natural products such as coal, natural gas, cellulose and, particularly, crude oil. Thousands of compounds make crude oil a complex mixture and it must be processed to become plastic. This distillation process commences in an oil refinery with the separation of the heavy crude oil into lighter aggregates called fractions. Each fraction is a mixture of hydrocarbon chains. These chains…
