You may already be aware that there are seven categories of plastic today. These categories are distinguished by size, colour, function, and outcome. What kinds of plastic can be recycled at the bottle return depot? Read on if you want to learn more about plastic trash’s afterlife!
The Process Of Plastic Recycling
A Calgary or wherever you live recycling depot sorts plastics by resin type and colour. There are two ways to recycle plastics.
Mechanically: where it is cleaned, ground, and melted.
And chemically: where it is broken down into monomers to generate new polymers for reuse.
Each year, the bottle return depot processes tonnes of plastic by bailing trash and delivering it to recycling partners. Various discarded plastics and raw plastic materials are in plentiful supply thanks to the efficient bottle depot recycling facility.
Recyclable Plastics
You may have noticed that most plastics include a number inside the recycling symbol. People often assume that the presence of the recycling symbol means the item is recyclable. These numerals, however, are a resin identification code used in the bottle return depot that reveals the specific plastic used in its production.
Here are some types of recyclable plastics
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Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
One-time-use food and drink containers are often made of transparent, durable plastic PET. The plastic is recycled to create new products, including carpets, tote bags, coats, containers, and strapping.
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High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
HDPE is a rigid plastic commonly used for shampoo and yogurt containers at the bottle depot. It is widely accepted worldwide because it is one of the most recyclable polymers. Flower pots, recycling bins, floor tiles, buckets, bins, film, and sheeting are just some of the many uses for these versatile plastics.
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Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
This plastic material requires a high chlorine concentration and other potentially harmful chemicals to get the intended result. It’s the go-to plastic for many home improvement projects, including vinyl siding, pipes, fencing, panels, and decks.
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Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Read bags, plastic shopping bags, and frozen food bags are commonly constructed of LDPE because of their softness and flexibility. Its value is diminished if it is not correctly segregated for recycling at the bottle depot. We can get Pieces of furniture, trash can liners, trash cans, floor tiles, and shipping envelopes from recycling this plastic.
- Polypropylene (PP)
PP is commonly used in bottle tops, straws, and pharmaceutical containers at bottle return depots. However, just 1% of all post-consumer plastics are recycled, making it one of the least recyclable plastics. Five procedures are required for PP recycling.
- Collection
- Sorting
- Cleaning
- Melting for reprocessing
- creation of brand-new products like bicycle racks, funnels for oil, battery cables and cases, and shipping pallets.
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Polystyrene (PS)
PS is difficult to recycle due to its high air content. One of the most prevalent uses for PS is in disposable products like coffee cups and Styrofoam. It must be transported to a facility for compression before it may be moved and reused at Calgary or a nearby recycling depot.
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Polycarbonate and BPA
A form of recyclable plastic that is generally looked down upon. PC is typically used to make water cooler bottles and large and mixed plastic containers. This class also includes multi-resin and composite plastics.
Conclusion
To protect the environment, recycling plastic at bottle depot is just as important as recycling anything else. Plastics can sit in landfills and contribute to pollution for a long time. Calgary or a nearby bottle recycling depot helps the plastic to preserve finite energy and natural resources since less plastic needs to be produced from raw materials, which means we can save more oil.