The lifecycle of a plastic bottle In the UK, we use 15 million plastic bottles EVERY day. Take a look around your school or home and you will see them everywhere, containing anything from squash to shampoo, and milk to washing liquid. But do you ever stop to think how that plastic bottle was made or where it ends up after you’ve used it? 50% How are 50%of plastic bottles are recycled plastic If you laid end-to-end, all the in the UK. That’s good news, bottles that Brits have but it means 50% of bottles recycled over the past 10 are still going to landfill. bottles years, they’d stretch to the made? moon and back 10 times! 1. Almost all plastics are produced from oil or natural gas, two types of fossil fuel. These contain compounds called hydrocarbons.
H
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8. This is H
then injected C H 2. When hydrocarbons into moulds, are subjected to very hot where the temperatures, they break plastic hardens down into smaller units, and sets into a known as monomers. bottle shape.
7. Next, the plastic pellets 3. To make plastics, are poured these monomers are into a joined together in a machine that long chain to form heats them larger molecules called to a very high polymers. This can be temperature, done through one of so it becomes two processes called a thick liquid. polymerisation and polycondensation.
6. At the bottling factory, the plastic 4. Polymerisation pellets may be uses heat, high pressure combined with recycled and a catalyst to link together plastic pellets. 50% of monomers into polymers. plastic bottles in the UK 5. The end product – The process of polycondensation are now recycled, and delivered to bottle links monomers in the same way the recycled plastic can manufacturers in but produces water as well. Creating be used on its own or pellet, powder, flake or different combinations of monomers mixed with new liquid form – provides results in different types of plastic (e.g. a plastic pellets to create the basic plastic for clear water bottle made from PET or a new plastic bottles. making a plastic bottle. coloured shampoo bottle made from HDPE). Do you recycle your plastic bottle...
In most cases, your household At the recycling After this, the plastic recycling is sent to a Materials plant, the plastic pellets are melted Recovery Facility (MRF), where bottles are down – and sometimes it’s sorted by type (e.g. glass shredded, washed new pellets are added vs. plastics). Even different and often sorted – so it becomes a thick plastics are sorted into types further (into liquid. This is then (e.g. PET vs. HDPE) by clever different colours, injected into moulds, machines that use light beams for example). where the plastic to tell them apart. These are hardens and sets into then packed by plastic type a bottle shape. And the ready for recycling. cycle begins again…
...Or do you bin it?
Half of all plastic bottles are thrown in the Machinery squashes down the Some household bin and end up in general household rubbish to prevent air from waste is burnt, rather waste. This rubbish is taken to a landfill getting trapped, and soil is than being sent to site, essentially a big hole in the ground, usually scattered on top of the landfill, which can where it is buried and takes a very, very landfill to prevent bad smells. create energy. Any long time to break down. leftover ash, however, still ends up in landfill.
(PolyethylenePET Terephthalate) 1 (HighHDPE Density Polyethylene) 2 Most clear plastic bottles are made Another popular plastic, often of this popular plastic, and it’s also used for products like milk, it’s the easiest to recycle. PET usually coloured or opaque. HDPE
Magic plastic Did you know... Plastic is one of chemistry’s great Most plastic bottles are thermoplastics, success stories. It only became which means they soften on heating and widespread from the mid-1930s then harden again on cooling. In onwards, but its malleable nature contrast, thermosets are processed makes it extremely versatile, which using heat and pressure, which links is why you’ll find it in most things together the polymers more tightly, so around us: from your fleece jumper they never soften after they have been to toys, polystyrene cups and moulded (like the plastic used in your mobile phones. Just remember computer, for example). to reduce, reuse and recycle! Source: Wrap (www.wrap.org.uk) Source: Wrap
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