| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 09:36:36 -0400 (EDT) From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Why are some plastics recyclable and not others (Naideen Corey)
May 13, 1999
Dear Naideen Corey,
All plastics are technically recyclable, but not all plastics have markets or sufficient demand for them, or sufficient margin of profit to make them economically recyclable. Plus some markets come and go, rise and recede.
Examples of recycled plastics products: plastic lumber, plastic pallets, soaker hoses, plumbing pipes.
Advantages of plastics over other materials: easy to mass produce, imperviousness to the elements in many cases, does not get bug-infested, is easy to work with. Is light-weight, springy, and generally not very heavy.
Disadvantages of plastics over other materials: has little value as waste, tends in most polymers to be prone to cracking, is inappropriate for hot climates or cold climates.
Effect on society and our lives: creates millions more things of an impermanent nature. Creates toys prone to breakage, leading to lots more upset children. Makes cars more light-weight so that they require less energy to drive them, but also make them riskier in crashes.
These are a few, now you complete your homework.
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