Everything You Need To Know About Plastic

Every single piece of plastic ever made still roams the planet today. What was thought of as a miracle solution to basic challenges in its inception in 1907 has now become of the 21st century’s leading problems. But while plastic pollution is widely known, few understand the why’s and how’s of the process, let alone plastic itself.

What is plastic?

So, what actually is this thing that lays waste on our beautiful home planet? Plastic is synthetic or semi-synthetic material used to make myriad products, appliances, and packaging. The name derives from the Greek word ‘plastikos,’ which translates into ‘fit for molding.’ This malleable matter is carved from a variety of raw materials including coal, cellulose, gas, and crude oil. The process of making plastic is a plague in itself. Utilising great amounts of fuel and energy, plastic and its formation both contribute to the detrimental effects our earth is going through.

Today, plastic is found everywhere and in almost everything.

The different types of plastic

With many forms of plastic out there, it can be confusing to understand which is which. Every type of plastic is graded depending on its ease of recycling. These numbers, or levels, determine how easy it is to remold into renewed products. Level 1 is the easiest to recycle, while level 7 is the hardest.
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1) Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET)
PET is the most common form of plastic and is widely recycled. These objects include beverage bottles and food containers and can be recycled and repurposed easily.

2) High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Milk bottles, shampoo bottles, and body wash containers – this is HDPE. It’s one of the safest forms of plastic and is recycling-friendly.

3) Polyvinyl Chloride (V or PVC)
PVC is made up of objects like food wrapping, tiles, children’s toys, and credit cards. These often contain harmful chemicals that can contaminate the earth further. These items NEVER decompose, left to sit on the planet for eternity. However, they can still be recycled fairly easily.

4) Low-density Polyethylene Terephthalate (LDPE)
This is your average plastic bag that you receive your shopping in, and your bubble wrap, as well as your takeaway beverage cups. It’s a relatively safe and clean form of recyclable plastic, but cannot be recycled with other common plastics. However, taking 500 to 1 000 years to decompose, this plastic is an evil to the earth. With only 6% of LDPE recycled annually, we need to make more of an effort to rid the planet of this plague.

5) Polypropylene (PP)
PP includes plastic items that makeup syrup holders, Tupperware, straws, and yogurt containers. It’s accepted as a recycling product, but only 3% is recycled every year.

6) Polystyrene (PS)
This is the infamous styrofoam, making up many one-use containers and throw-away cutlery. It’s difficult to recycle these items.

7) Polycarbonate (Miscellaneous Plastics)
Sunglasses, nylon, CDs, and computer casing are sorted in the miscellaneous category of plastics. These are extremely hard to recycle, and therefore are barely ever recycled at all. When left alone, they will NEVER biodegrade.

Why has plastic become a problem?

It’s cheap, effective, easy to create, and easily accessible. Sounds great, right? Wrong. We’ve now become dependent on this pollutant. Plastic takes centuries to biodegrade – sometimes even longer. We produce over 380 million tons of plastic every single year, with 50% of the weight contributing to single-use plastic only. Now, all of this has to go somewhere, and where else but landfills. Plastic packs up in these dense holes and escarpments, only to be blown away by the wind further into the wild or into the ocean. Littering is another form of plastic pollution, directly endangering the health of ecosystems and lives.
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This plastic waste is killing wild and marine lives – constantly. Toxic exposure and strangulation are the most common ways plastic is harming those who inhabit our planet. Today, microplastics are found everywhere. From the summit of Mount Everest and the depths of the Mariana Trench to the air we breathe and the water we drink, plastic has truly become the most problematic plague this world has had to endure.

How does plastic affect the planet?

Plastic production as a product negatively affects the earth in almost every single way. Starting from the process, plastic requires large amounts of fossil fuels to construct. These crude oils emit harmful toxins into the atmosphere, polluting and choking our air. Once made, plastic needs to be transported. Planes, ships, and trucks are used for this task, further seeping out harmful toxins into the planet. The plastic is then utilised in everyday common goods and generally thrown away soon after purchase, left to strangle animals and release toxic chemicals into our waterways and natural spaces.

The world works in a circular motion. For example, when plastic enters the ocean and finds a new place to settle, it’s interrupting significant ecosystems. A fish may mistake this tiny piece of plastic for a nutritious flake of food. It ingests this flimsy figment and carries on with its day. However, inside the fish, toxins are slowly being released. A whale may come along and consume this fish, blissfully unaware of what lays within its dinner. Now, toxins are circulating within the whale, who then feeds its newborn calf. The calf, still young and developing, cannot handle the toxins produced through its mom’s milk. Eventually, the calf passes away from the harmful chemicals.
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Every year, eight million tons of plastic find their way into the ocean. This destructive and horrific cycle repeats itself tenfold and even makes its way into human feeding grounds. Yes, we consume microplastics all the time due to this circular process.

How to Recycle Plastic

Reduce, reuse, recycle – we’ve all heard this phrase. But did you know that it’s in order of importance? When dealing with plastic waste, we must follow the phrase step by step. First, reduce your dependency and usage of plastic, then reuse what you can, and finally, recycle as the last possible option.However, because of the strenuous task of recycling and the lack of knowledge citizens have of proper recycling methods, over 90% of recycling isn’t even recycled and ends up in landfills anyway. It’s therefore extremely important to recycle correctly.Below are the most important steps to follow to recycle correctly:

• Separate all plastics. A milk carton may be a level 2 plastic, but the lid is a level 7. While level 2 is easy to recycle, level 7 is near impossible. Be sure to separate the levels when recycling. Generally, you’ll be able to identify what plastic level your item is by searching for the indented triangle embedded within the plastic.
• Always clean your plastic items. Any oil, grease, or food residue will result in a discarded plastic item, leading it into a landfill. Wash out your plastic and leave it to dry before adding it to the correct plastic pile.
• Crush your plastic items, such as a beverage bottles, as much as you can. This leaves space in your recycling bin and allows you to get the most out of the clear or black bag you’re using to hold your recycling.

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Reduce, reuse, recycle – we’ve all heard this phrase. But did you know that it’s in order of importance? When dealing with plastic waste, we must follow the phrase step by step. First, reduce your dependency and usage of plastic, then reuse what you can, and finally, recycle as the last possible option.

However, because of the strenuous task of recycling and the lack of knowledge citizens have of proper recycling methods, over 90% of recycling isn’t even recycled and ends up in landfills anyway. It’s therefore extremely important to recycle correctly.

Below are the most important steps to follow to recycle correctly:
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– Separate all plastics. A milk carton may be a level 2 plastic, but the lid is a level 7. While level 2 is easy to recycle, level 7 is near impossible. Be sure to separate the levels when recycling. Generally, you’ll be able to identify what plastic level your item is by searching for the indented triangle embedded within the plastic.
– Always clean your plastic items. Any oil, grease, or food residue will result in a discarded plastic item, leading it into a landfill. Wash out your plastic and leave it to dry before adding it to the correct plastic pile.
– Crush your plastic items, such as a beverage bottles, as much as you can. This leaves space in your recycling bin and allows you to get the most out of the clear or black bag you’re using to hold your recycling.

Frequently asked questions and answers

1. HOW MUCH PLASTIC ENDS UP IN THE OCEAN?
Eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year.

2. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR PLASTIC TO DISAPPEAR?
This depends on the type of plastic, but generally speaking, plastic takes 500 years to decompose. However, since every piece of plastic made still exists, we have no finite evidence to conclude exactly how long plastic takes to disappear.

3. CAN THE PROBLEM BE SOLVED WITH RECYCLING OR BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS?
While recycling helps, it will not solve the plastic pollution problem. Biodegradable plastics are one of the only solutions we have to solve this plague, but ending the production of plastic entirely may be the only tangible solution.

4. HOW DOES PLASTIC PRODUCTION CONTRIBUTE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS?
Producing plastic uses fossil fuels and crude oils which leak into the atmosphere, eventually contributing to the warming of the planet as a whole.

5. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
REDUCE your use of plastic, turn to alternative methods such as reusable bags and cups, REUSE your plastic waste by, for example, turning your milk carton into a pot for plants, and then RECYCLE your plastic waste properly.
 
Reference List:

• Plastics Europe, What are plastics? 2021
• Non-Plastic Beach, How does plastic harm the environment? 2021
• National Geographic, The world’s plastic pollution crisis explained, 2019
• City of Westminster, Plastic, 2021
• Mindful Meanderer, Your Ultimate Guide to Recycling, 2020

By Georgia Carter