Plastics

Plastic is a much harder substance to recycle than paper and glass. It is made from oil and as a result contributes to the depletion of that finite resource. At present Ireland is recycling 4% of all plastic used.

It is estimated that approximately 120,000 tonnes of plastic waste arise in Ireland every year. The 1.26 billion plastic bags used in Ireland each year amount to 14,000 tonnes!!! (Link to plastic bag levy.)

Advantages of Plastic

• Strength and durability
• Lightweight
• Energy efficient in transport
• Flexibility
• Cost

Disadvantages of Plastics

• Their ‘Bulk’ which adds to the cost of collection and disposal in landfill by local authorities.
• Persistence in the environment if improperly disposed of, resulting in litter on beaches, hedgerows etc.
• Most are produced from crude oil, a valuable and non-renewable resource, there are also many environmental impacts associated with its extraction.
• There is a lack of developed infrastructure/technology for the recycling of waste.

Reduce

• Bring your reusable bag when shopping.
• Buy the largest container you can use.
• Use reusable nappies (they’re not like they use to be!!!).
• Choose concentrated products.
• Avoid cling film and aluminium foil for sandwiches and leftovers. Use a box with a lid such as an ice cream tub.
• Buy loose foods and avoid pre-packed fruit, meats, vegetables, cheese etc. save your money you’re only paying for the packaging.
• Say NO to items you’re not going to use e.g. napkins, straws, plastic utensils, and condiments.
• Choose glass rather than plastics (drinks, sauces, cosmetics etc), as it’s easier to recycle.

Reuse

• Avoid disposable products like razors, biros, and felt tip pens. Use refillable/reusable products instead.
• Buy refills, for example washing powers and liquids.
• Reuse ice cream and margarine containers for storage or as sandwich boxes.

Recycle

• Many plastic containers can be recycled. Check your local bring centre.
• However there are many problems when recycling plastics:
• Plastic cannot be recycled indefinitely and is generally nit recycled into food containers.
• Because plastics are lightweight, they are expensive to pick up and sort.
• There are a wide variety of plastics used and sorting equipment is

expensive.

• Virgin resins can be cheaper to buy.
• Some resins are difficult to clean.
• High level of contamination of household plastics

How are Plastics recycled?

For this type of recycling, collected plastics packaging must be sorted. At present this is usually done by hand although technology is being introduced to sort plastics automatically. When the plastic has been sorted it is either melted down directly and moulded into a new shape, or melted after being shredded into flakes and then processed into granules called regranulate.

Use of Recycled Plastics

25 plastic drink bottles can be used to make one fleece jacket!

The range of products made from recycled plastic includes: PVC sewer pipes and flooring; video and compact disc cassette cases; fencing; garden furniture; office accessories; seed trays; building insulation board; anoraks and fleece; and fibre filling for sleeping bags and duvets.

Click below for:

EPA fact sheet: Plastics.

(http://www.epa.ie/r_d/Products/Plastics.pdf)