Chapter 12: Plastic Recycling

recycling

In the past, glass bottle "_________________" was really reusing. Milk bottles would be returned to be washed and refilled, the same with other bottle types.

usefulness

It is important to note that this is in order of _________________

decompose

Plastic doesn't ____________________

pollution

In the past, people have thrown waste into rivers and the ocean thinking it would just "go away". It doesn't. • We ran into serious ________________ problems.

Plastics

Most substances have a natural decomposition method to break it down. _____________ don't.

Great Pacific, two

__________ ___________ Garbage Patch • This garbage patch spans across ______ gyres in the pacific ocean.

small, recycled

A _________ percentage of plastic that is made is actually ______________

landfill

Simply burying them in a _____________ doesn't make them go away.

break down

It can take 20-500 years for plastics to ___________ _________

microplastics

They just break into smaller pieces called ____________________

types, additives

A big part of the problem is that there are so many different _________ of plastics and different ________________ are added in to give the plastic a specific color or texture or some other property

Garbage patches, gyres

_____________ _____________ in the ocean • In the ocean, there currents (like rivers going though the ocean. • The currents lead to swirling areas called ________

littering, newspaper, decompose

Disposable plastic is largely to blame for ________________ problem. • Prior to disposable plastic, there wasn't much material for someone to litter with. • Even if you did leave materials out, like a ___________________, it would decompose shortly. • Plastic on the other hand doesn't ____________________.

bottles, 1, 2 blow-molded

In many cases, plastic _____________ with a neck stamped ___ or ___ are recycled other plastic materials are not. • This is because plastic bottles are "________-_____________" where a plastic tub in "injection molded"

litter bug, consumer

In the 1950's, several manufacturers formed Keep America Beautiful, which started an ad campaign blaming the "___________ _______". • This shifted the view of the problem to poor behavior of the ________________ rather than the industry making all the garbage.

against

Sanitation and conservationalism will always run ___________ one another.

cheaper, new, reuse

It is ______________ to make ______ plastic than it is to recycle the old plastic materials and then _________ those materials.

coastline, responsibility, Texas

It is far enough away from any _______________ that no country is claiming ____________________ or attempting to clean it up. • It is twice the size of _________

living things

Microplastics are being found everywhere (in ______________ _____________, the ocean, everywhere)

floating, 6, break down

Most of the ___________ plastic in the ocean ends up at one of these areas as the ocean current eventually push it there. • At the ___ gyres in the ocean, there are large collections of plastic waste. • In these areas, the plastic doesn't _________ ________. It only breaks into smaller pieces over time. • This means there ends up being lots of microplastics.

Environmental laws

______________________ _______ have slowed these practices, but not completely stopped them.

resin, number

Plastic is made from raw materials called ________. The materials are stamped with a _____________ to indicate what it primarily is.

infinite loop, degrades, recyclable, once

Plastic recycling doesn't create an ____________ ________ like it does with glass or aluminum. • When a plastic bottle is recycled, the plastic _____________ so it can't be used to make a new bottle. • Instead it has to be used in a lower grade plastic, like jacket fill, carpeting, or plastic lumber. • These materials are generally considered not to be __________________. • So we can only recycle that plastic material ________.

countries, poorer

Plastic waste has been sold to ________________ • To more correctly state that, a fee was paid for ___________ countries to take our plastic waste.

population

Pollution is a bigger problem as the ___________________ grows.

usage, waste

Reduce your __________ of something that you don't need to use is much better. It eliminates the waste entirely. • Reusing materials allows you to reduce your overall __________.

plant, mix

That is because a _________ is set up to take one type of plastic and you can't ______ them when trying to recycle them.

reduce reuse recycle

The rallying cry of environmentalists has been ____________ _____________ ________________ for quite a while.

7, recyclable

There are 1000's of different types of plastic and only ___ numbers. • In most cases, there is plastic that is considered __________________ and other that is not.

restrictions, rinsed, thrown away, cheaper, landfill

There are many _________________ for recycling • They want all materials ____________ out, they don't want it bagged. • When they are not followed much of the recyclable plastic gets ____________ _________. • In many cases, people/businesses/municipalities decide it is _____________ to throw it away than to attempt to recycle, and they bury it in a _____________

Light, float, storm

_________ plastic materials are especially hard to keep out of waterways. • They ________ on water. • When a __________ comes, it is easy to wash the plastic material into the waterways and eventually out into the ocean, even if it was in a landfill. •Some people still do dump waste into waterways.

China, India, ocean

__________ stopped taking imported plastics • It was sold to __________ and other countries. • Much of this plastic ends up in the __________.

Straws, ocean

____________ became a recent item that was pointed out as unnecessary. • Most people don't use a straw if they are not in a restaurant. • It would be quite easy to reduce our usage. • And just like that, everyone starting hating straws • Plastic straws are rarely recycled and can end up floating in the __________.

Single, sanitary

____________ use disposable materials will always be more ______________ than items being washed and reused. • This goes for water bottles, grocery bags, everything.