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Scrap Metal Recycling Article
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Plastic Recycling Information
from:Plastic recycling is one of the most important environmental subjects. This material offers great convenience for consumers. Unfortunately, it wreaks havoc on our ecosystem.
Many plastic containers were not designed with reuse in consideration. This makes them particularly dangerous for the environment. Landfills are overwhelmed with waste and plastic is one of the most threatening materials left behind.
Plastic recycling strategies are complex. There are many different types of this material. Some can be reused. Others cannot. Some pose a threat of cancer because of their unstable makeup.
Each type of plastic needs to be sorted and organized. Proper plastic recycling efforts begin with education. Consumers need to know more about the composition of this material and the ramifications it has on recycling efforts.
Two Types of Plastic
Two types of plastic can be recycled. Type 1 is PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate). Manufacturers reuse this material to make various items. PETE can be found in parts for vehicles, paintbrushes and carpeting. Some industrial paint contains this material as well.
PETE is typically used to make beverage and food containers. After the consumer uses the product, they can recycle the plastic. The material is used in the production of many items including those listed above.
Type 2 plastic is HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). Manufacturers reuse this material to make convenient items. HDPE can be found in liquid detergent containers, recycling bins and trashcans.
Typical products initially made of HDPE include laundry detergent containers and milk bottles among other things. Items used in plastic recycling in the Type 2 classification are often recycled back into their original form.
Identification
Those who are interested can see which kind of plastic they have by looking at the bottom of the container. There is a triangle imprint located on the base of the unit. The triangle surrounds numbers or letters.
Type 1 plastics are given the number one. Some containers have the letters PETE or PET on them. Type 2 plastics are given the number two. Some containers have the letters HDPE. Some logos have both letters and number on them to help identify the type of material they contain. The identification logo makes plastic recycling much easier for the people processing the materials.
There are also plastic types numbered three to seven. These plastic recycling materials are very expensive and difficult to process. Type 7 is particularly tricky because it contains unstable elements that have been linked to cancer.
Plastic recycling is a complex process. Consumers can help to make the task easier by taking a little time to explore this subject.
Scrap Metal Recycling News
New, old methods combine to deter scrap metal thefts in Aroostook
An employee (right) at OneSteel Recycling, Inc., in Caribou weighs in a load of scrap metal on Monday, May 21, 2012.
Read more...Advantage Metals Recycling Linn Creek receives 2012 Safety Award
On May 3, 2012, Advantage Metals Recycling’s (AMR) State Road A Linn Creek scrap metal recycling facility received a prestigious 2012 Corporate Safety Award from The Safety Council of the Ozarks, a regional branch of the National Safety Council.
Read more...Sanitation Dept Takes on Scrap Metal Thieves
The city's Department of Sanitation is stepping up police patrols to counter an increase in the theft of valuable scrap metal people put out on their curbs for collection.
Read more...Recycling business owner arrested following scrap metal sting
The owner of Top Dollar Recycling, Michael Jarrell, has been arrested in Emanuel County in connection to a scrap metal theft case worth an estimated $4 million to $6 million.
Read more...Department of Sanitation cops ramp up patrols to combat increased scrap metal theft
They wanna take out the trash. The city Department of Sanitation’s police force has beefed up neighborhood patrols to combat the theft of valuable recyclable scrap metal carted to the curb. “It’s a continuing problem, one that the department is very aggressively trying to combat,” said Vito Turso...
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