Plastic
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What is it?
The world ‘plastic’ actually refers to an ability to be ‘ shaped or moulded’ rather than a name in its own right. The term plastic covers a huge range of different ‘polymer’ types, which are simply 'strings of molecules' which can be changed to produce whatever type of characteristics are needed; such as recyclable.
Plastic is usually made from organic materials such as oil, but can also be made from plant starch. Sometimes plastics are blended with man-made materials to make them suitable for a specific use, such as heat resistant or degradable. These types are known as ‘synthetic’.
The main advantages of plastics are their versatility and durability; however the fact some types last a long time is also their biggest downfall if it becomes litter. Oil based plastic survives far longer than most other types of litter simply because it doesn’t break down naturally.
Did you know?
Plastic litter accounts for 60 – 80% of all marine rubbish. See the 'Message in the Waves' website for an example of problems of plastic in our environment.
Can it be recycled?
Because of the huge range of different plastics available, the answer to this question really depends on the type, and where you live.
Did you know?
The average household uses 500 plastic bottles every year.
The best approach to plastic recycling is to stick to the types asked for on the recycling list provided by your council or attached to the recycling collection container. If the list says ‘plastic bottles only’ just recycle plastic bottles.
Since 1988, most plastics have been marked with an identification symbol. This symbol, known as the ‘ SPI resin identification code’, does not mean that the plastic can be recycled, but simply that it is a particular type of plastic should someone want to recycle it.
The most common types of plastic and their identification numbers are;
Type 1 (PET) Fizzy drink, Mineral water, Squash, Cooking oil bottles.
Type 2 (HDPE) Milk, washing up liquid, bleach, bath and shower gel bottles.
Type 3 (PVC) Pipes, fittings, window and door frames (rigid PVC) and automotive parts.
Type 4 (LDPE) Carrier bags, bin liners and packaging films.
Type 5 (PP) Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays, carpets, wall coverings and vehicle upholstery.
Type 6 (PS) Disposable cups, trays and take-away containers.
Type 7 (O) Other (any plastic that does not fit the categories 1-6)
What does biodegradable mean?
There are a whole range of confusing terms associated with our rubbish. For plastic, these may include;
Environmentally Friendly
What is this? – Unless a reason is also given, such as ‘100% recycled product’, this means very little.
100% Recyclable
What is this? – Most things can be recycled providing there is enough of it, and there is a process to deal with it. This term is only useful if you know of somewhere to recycle it.
Compostable
What is this? – This type of plastic is usually made from plant starch and may also be approved to compost without causing harm or delay to the composting process.
Biodegradable
What is it? – Biodegradable plastic is also compostable and will break down as the result of natural bacteria and fungi. However, because biodegradable plastic takes longer to decompose, it is often not suitable for composting collection schemes.
Degradable
What is it? – Degradable plastic is designed to break into smaller and smaller parts when exposed to certain conditions such as ‘time’ or ‘light’. This type of plastic is not biodegradable.
Some recycling services (such as carrier bag recycling schemes) do not accept compostable, biodegradable or degradable plastics because these can interfere with the recycling process.
Where can I recycle it?
All Devon Councils collect plastic bottles through household bin or box recycling collections.
Most Recycling Centres also collect other types of clean plastic including plastic trays, sandwich containers and ready meal containers.
Why do councils not collect all plastics?
The two main operational reasons why councils do not collect all plastics are because they are bulky and lightweight.
Did you know?
1 tonne of plastic equals around 20,000 plastic bottles. 1 tonne of glass equals around 1,000 glass bottles.
Most recycling collection lorries do not squash the recycling from our homes. As a result, plastic is a difficult thing to collect because lorries can fill up very quickly which means that they need to be emptied more often. This could use more fuel to collect them than the energy saved by recycling them.
This website is intended to provide a broad introduction to waste management in Devon, if it doesn’t answer all your waste questions, please contact us via the ‘Ask a question’ page on this site and we will do our best to answer it.
