Environment

Plastics & our environment

Here are some facts to learn about plastics and our environment.

Plastic & Landfill

Reduction of waste, reuse, recycling, recovery of energy (through incineration), retention in landfill (garbage dumps), research will play important roles in the way our society handles solid waste. Reduction, reuse and recycling must all become second nature. Many ‘’non-recyclable’’ items can actually be recovered into useable energy, through incineration or other means, such as pyrolysis. Landfills will continue to accept truly non-recyclable materials. And, as new products are developed and our world continues to change, research will continue to seek new and better answers to our solid waste questions.

All plastics are recyclable. Plastic bottles, containers, bags, coffee cups, hamburger ‘’clamshells’’ and plastic food wrap are all currently being recycled in North American communities. Recycling technology is well advanced, and markets for recycled plastics are growing. Current household collection programs allow recyclers to receive post-consumer plastics so they can clean, sort, process and sell recycled plastic material. Also under development is the recycling of longer lasting products, such as auto parts, TV sets, appliances, construction materials and the like. The challenge is to develop sophisticated recycling systems to collect, sort and separate these plastics for recycling, and develop markets for recycled plastic products.

At the grocery store, the amount of paper required to carry your groceries from the store to your kitchen takes about ten times the amount of landfill space as plastic shopping sacks. Also, most plastic grocery bags are now reused as kitchen waste bags. The remaining bags can be returned for recycling, as many grocery stores in Canada and the U.S.A. are now collecting plastic grocery sacks and recycling them into new ones. Some municipalities are now collecting post-consumer plastic film (bags and plastic wrap which have no further reuse value in the household) for recycling. The Canadian plastics industry is currently conducting a plastic bag recycling project with residents in Peterborough, Ontario.

Degradable plastics

Most modern landfills are operated so degradation does not occur. Recent excavations have found 30 year old newspapers still readable, and 15-year-old meat and vegetables still intact. It is important that degradation not occur in landfills. Otherwise, leachate (contaminated water from decaying materials) can poison the groundwater and the decaying garbage can generate noxious and flammable methane gases. Plastics are inert, and do not decay or contribute to leachate or gas generation.

Photodegradable plastic (designed to break apart in sunlight) won’t work when buried under soil. Biodegradable plastic (designed to break apart by microscopic ‘’bugs’’ in the soil) won’t work except under ideal conditions, including particle size, acidity, moisture, nutrients, microbial action, temperature and toxicity. Not all these conditions exist in modern landfills.

Part of the litter problem is a people problem. Products don’t litter…people do! At some point, people who litter decide that the item is not their responsibility anymore. We think that making plastics degradable will encourage more people to litter. A photodegradable plastic bag cannot break apart in sunlight if it is buried under leaves or snow. There may be specific instances where degradable plastics may assist in reducing harm to the environment, but as yet, there are more questions than answers.

Alternative

If plastics were banned from being used as packaging, and paper, glass and metal were used instead, a West German study has shown that the volume of waste would increase by more than two and a half times, and the weight of solid waste would increase by more than four times. The same study estimates that both energy consumption to make the other packaging and the costs of that packaging for the consumer would double.

In estimating increased energy consumption, it’s important to consider raw material and manufacturing costs, product size, and increased transportation costs resulting from bulkier, heavier packaging alternatives. An interesting example: It’s estimated that the use of plastic liquor bottles instead of heavier glass bottles saves airlines approximately $15,000 per plane per year in fuel costs.

Today’s ‘’throwaway’’ attitude in society is not entirely the responsibility of plastic products. The features of plastics – light weight, flexibility, economy, mouldability – have permitted the development of many new products and packages. Changing lifestyles and the increase in two-career families have resulted in a demand for convenience and time-saving products. And successful marketers have responded by providing products and packages to meet those needs. In all cases, the consumer makes the decision. A product cannot be successful unless the public buys it. In some cases, improved manufacturing processes have also reduced the costs of new items such as car parts and household appliances so significantly, that it is often cheaper to replace them rather than repair or re-build them.

It is not believed that the plastics industry encourage packagers to overpackage. Packagers package to meet a need. Some packages must be large enough to accommodate labeling codes, advertising information and instructions in both English and French, as well as prevent theft and protect the product.

The packaging industry is working hard to design new packaging using less disposable material. Switching from glass and paper to plastics packaging will often significantly reduce the volume of municipal waste. The Environment and Plastics Institute of Canada (EPIC), an industry organization, sponsors an annual award for the best ‘’environmentally friendly’, packaging design.

The industry realizes that successful recycling may reduce sales of new plastic in certain applications and we support this. Although the use of new plastic will probably be reduced in many packages, we anticipate any new environmentally preferred uses for plastics including food packages, medical products and other applications where health and safety considerations are of foremost concern.

What can we do?

• Compost yard clippings and kitchen scraps.
• Use your Blue box or other recycling collection systems to their maximum potential.
• Adhere to the 3R’s …reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Understand the importance of the other 3 R’s – recovery of energy, retention in landfills, and research – as part of the solution to the solid aste issue.
• Turn off the faucet while you do the dishes, brush your teeth, or shave.
• Use energy-efficient showerheads.
• Use a displacement device inside toilet tanks, to save water.
• Keep your car tuned to help reduce air emissions.
• Car-pool when possible.
• Plant trees to consume carbon dioxide.
• Plant trees to shade your home, reducing air conditioning requirements
• Install energy-efficient windows.
• Insulate your home for more efficient heating and cooling.
• Encourage family and friends to think of ways they can help.

Plastic Recycling Codes

	PETE (Polyethylene Terepthalate)
	HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
	PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
	LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene)
	PP (Polypropylene)
	PS (Polystyrene)
	OTHER (Less Commonly Used)