You need to check with your local collection service to see if they are accepting LDPE plastic items for recycling. To cut down on the amount of LDPE that you consume, try replacing your plastic grocery bags with fabric alternatives and taking a cloth bag to your local bakery the next time you buy a loaf of bread. You can also replace plastic sandwich bags with platinum silicone alternatives , which are heat safe.
Polypropylene plastic is tough and lightweight, and has excellent heat-resistance qualities. It serves as a barrier against moisture, grease and chemicals. When you try to open the thin plastic liner in a cereal box, it is polypropylene. This keeps your cereal dry and fresh. PP is also commonly used for disposable diapers, pails, plastic bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato chip bags, straws, packing tape and rope.
Recycled PP is used to make landscaping border stripping, battery cases, brooms, bins and trays. However, 5 plastic is today becoming more accepted by recyclers. PP is considered safe for reuse. To recycle products made from PP, check with your local curbside program to see if they are now accepting this material.
To cut down on how much PP you consume, opt for reusable straws instead of plastic ones, reusable water bottles , and cloth diapers. Polystyrene is an inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with a wide variety of uses.
Polystyrene is also widely used to make rigid foam insulation and underlay sheeting for laminate flooring used in home construction. Because polystyrene is structurally weak and ultra-lightweight, it breaks up easily and is dispersed readily throughout the natural environment. Beaches all over the world have bits of polystyrene lapping at the shores, and an untold number of marine species have ingested this plastic with immeasurable consequences to their health.
Polystyrene may leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food products especially when heated in a microwave. Chemicals present in polystyrene have been linked with human health and reproductive system dysfunction.
Recycling is not widely available for polystyrene products. While the technology for recycling polystyrene is available, the market for recycling is small. Ditching the synthetic material known as plastic is a tough endeavor for any American, even the greenest among us. In our everyday lives, it's everywhere. It's up to us to be vigilant about which plastic products we're choosing to use and which ones must be avoided due to potentially toxic effects that can have serious consequences for our health.
One trick you can use to figure out which plastics to avoid is to decode the recycling symbols and knowing what those numbers inside the triangular recycling code mean. Here are three to avoid:. Found in condiment bottles, teething rings, toys, shower curtains, window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows and piping, No. Even though it is almost impossible to avoid plastic in modern society, try your best to choose other materials or, at least, opt for safer classes of plastic.
Volunteering is another great option to fight with plastic! Remember that 2, 4 and recycle symbol 5 are relatively safe to use. Still, try not to heat them and do not put into microwave even if they are microwavable safe. Products with 3 plastic recycling numbers, as well as with recycling codes 6 and 7, must be rarely used, especially with food and drinks. Another important question is what plastics can be recycled.
Try not to throw away too much plastic. Reuse it where possible and choose the plastics which are more likely to be recycled than left on the landfills.
Use plastic products with great caution. Here is a simple compilation table about 7 types of plastic. Who the hell knows for sure except for the truck driver or recycle center.
To many secrets. A few questions: 1. What kind of plastic is Saran wrap, and is it recyclable? What about similar plastic that is used for things like bags for pre-packaged fruits and vegetables? The aluminum foil on top usually gets shredded so I throw it away. What about the plastic cup itself?
And finally, 6. Thanks for your help. Close search. Biodegradable natural straws to help our planet Shop Now. It has got a porous structure so you need strong cleaning products. These products will cause carcinogens leach. Never heat PETE 1 plastic as this causes antimony leach which is a toxic chemical.
Recycle 1 plastic The good news is that PET plastic is easy to recycle. The durability and reliability of HDPE 2 make it efficient to use in the manufacture of various items like: Sturdy bottles for cosmetics and household cleaner Stools, chairs, sunbeds for outdoor use Toys and playground equipment Some plastic bags Flexible pipes Bottle crates Rope Plastic envelopes Water, juice and milk jugs Source: i.
Today plastic 5 is commonly used in: Yogurt containers Liner in cereals boxes Disposable diapers Plastic bottles tops Kitchenware Disposable plates, cups, cutlery As far as plastic 5 is frequently used in food packaging, people often wonder about PP interaction with human bodies. Hopefully, more attempts are made to recycle 5 PP more and make it as effective as with other recyclable plastics Source: recyclenation. So PS 6 plastic can be found in: Disposable drinking cups CD, DVD cases Egg cartons Food containers to-go and disposable cutlery Insulation, including building insulation The problem with plastic number 6 is its fragility: it breaks up easily and goes to the environment.
Recycle number 7 can be found on these items: Sport bottles and equipment Car parts Baby bottles Medical and dental equipment Electrical wiring Lids It is hard to recycle 7 plastic and most factories do not accept it.
All in all Even though it is almost impossible to avoid plastic in modern society, try your best to choose other materials or, at least, opt for safer classes of plastic. Holistic nutritional consultant. Amateur biohacker.
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