Plastic
Many plastic applications are incredibly useful, which in turn has led to plastic’s popularity and ubiquity. Plastic material is cheap to produce, versatile and durable. Made correctly we can use plastics safely to package food and across various healthcare applications.
Pre-use plastic waste is likely to be the main source of plastics suitable for reprocessing from manufacturers of plastic products; in many instances off-cuts can be reprocessed in-house. It is typically more valuable than post-use plastics waste, as it generally requires little processing to use in a new product.
| Types | Description |
|---|---|
| PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate | Drinks bottles and perishable food packaging contain this form of plastic. It is thought to be a plastic that is safe although the odour from any foods or liquids put in them can be absorbed by it. Most facilities will recycle PET bottles and other plastics. |
| HDPE or High-Density Polyethylene | This is another form of plastic that we can class as being safe. We can find HDPE in shower gel bottles and cleaning product bottles. |
| PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride | This is a form of plastic that we can use for piping, windows and different types of medical equipment. This type of plastic, known as the poison plastic, should not be used for food or drink as it does contain harmful chemicals. |
| LDPE or Low-Density Polyethylene | This safe and clean plastic is common in a number of items around the home. This can include plastic shopping bags and squeezable bottles. Fortunately, there has been an increase in recycling programs that will accept this form of plastic. After recycling, we can reuse it in items such as bubble wrap and even furniture. |
| PP or Polypropylene | Known for its durable properties, this is a plastic that is safe for use in items such as plastic Tupperware containers and even medicine bottles. Due to its sturdiness and hard-wearing properties, once we recycle it, plastic producers can use it to make pallets, battery cables and even rakes. Again, many recycling programs are happy to recycle this form of plastic waste. |
| PS or Polystyrene | Polystyrene is a plastic that most are familiar with. We use it for protection around items that have been packaged, it is also used as insulation and in cups. It is known for leaching and is not a material that we can recycle easily. Although it is possible to recycle, not many programs do. |
| Other Plastics | There is a collection of plastics that fall into their own category. These are items that are difficult to recycle. This can include sunglasses, baby bottles and even CD’s. They contain BPA, which is a toxic chemical and can cause disruption to hormones as well as a range of health problems. |
