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= Plastic Bottles and Down Cycling  =
[[Image:Plastic-water-bottles.jpg‎|thumb]]


  Plastics have become a big part of our lives today. We use plastic in just about everything from computers and entertainment, to containers and cars. We have become very plastic dependent in the last 60 years or so. Plastics are less breakable than glass, last longer, cheaper to make, and so much more. One of the first plastic products that come to mind is the plastic water bottle. Every grocery store and gas station across our nation has on its shelves, multiple water bottle options. They are cold, refreshing,-- and quite snazzy in design. They have great depicitons of waterfalls and untouched landscapes, clever brand names, and the convience of not haveing to do much to obtain. It all sounds great untill you start thinking in a more holistic way. Ever think about where the bottles go when you throw them away or recycle them? How about what goes into making water bottles- the energy and resources?
== Recycling plastic bottles ==


== How are plastic watter bottles made?  ==
Plastic bottles  can be used in water treatment: a simple method of [[solar water disinfection]] involves leaving a PET bottle with water in the sun. (See the article for all t[he steps, and length of time needed for treatpoop--[[Special:Contributions/199.235.63.128|199.235.63.128]] 10:58, 23 September 2015 (PDT)
]
...and in building:
* [[Ecoladrillo]]
* See also this small one-off cottage: [http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-house-of-plastic-bottles.html The House of Plastic Bottles], September 18th, 2009


The technological road from oil field to finished plastic product has numerous fascinating side trips. Here’s the route taken in the petroleum-to-plastics process:  
...and in gardening:
* [[Miniature greenhouses from plastic bottles]]


1. Petroleum is drilled and transported to a refinery.  
== Where does plastic come from? ==
'''Plastic Bottles Come From Virgin Sources.'''
* PET = Polyethylene Terephtalate: [[Petroleum]] & Natural Gas
* Oil Extraction: Middle East, Nigeria - Environmental & Social Issues
* Shipped to Refineries: mix HC’s from crude oil with chemical catalysts triggering polymerization - forms plastic pellets
1.5 million barrels of oil are used to produce plastic watter bottles in the US per year. That much energy could power 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year (USA Today)
[[Image:Pre_forms.jpg‎ |Plastic Bottle Pre-forms|thumb]]
[[Image:Preforms.jpg ‎|plastic bottle pre-forms|thumb]]
'''Plastics are sold on open market as Commodities (subject to Supply & Demand''')
# Brokers buy virgin plastic pellets and sell to manufacturers
# Manufacturers (i.e. China) melt pellets into “pre-forms” (small test tubes) by heating ~270’C and mixing them to form homogeneous paste, than reheat ~100’C with infrared lamps to regain plasticity.  Bottling Companies purchase “Pre-forms”
# Bottling Companies (i.e. Coca-Cola) stretch and blow mold the “pre-forms” under high pressure to create the bottles’ final shape.  Bottles must be sterilized for FDA regulations and than they are filled, capped, labeled, packed into cases, and prepared for shipping to consumer.
# Producing 1 kilogram of PET plastic requires 17.5 kilograms of water and results in air emissions of 40 grams of hydrocarbons, 25 grams of sulfur oxides, 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20 grams of nitrogen oxides, and 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
# Much more water is consumed in making the bottles than will ever go into them. (The Green Guide)


2. Crude oil and natural gas are refined into ethane, propane, hundreds of other petrochemical products and, of course, fuel for your car.
<br>


3. Ethane and propane are "cracked" into ethylene and propylene, using high-temperature furnaces.
== Health concerns ==


4. Catalyst is combined with ethylene or propylene in a reactor, resulting in "fluff," a powdered material (polymer) resembling laundry detergent.  
[[Sterilizing]] plastic bottles in hot water can do more harm than good, as it greatly increases the rate at which [[bisphenol A]] (BPA) leaches out. In the study that suggested this, the level was 55 times higher, but still within European regulatory limits.<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726415.400-plastic-bottles-pose-health-risk-if-boiled.html Plastic bottles pose health risk if boiled], ''New Scientist'' 31 January 2008.</ref>


5. Fluff is combined with additives in a continuous blender.
Apart from avoiding boiling water, BPA can be avoided by switching to bottles made of [[high-density polyethylene]].


6. Polymer is fed to an extruder where it is melted.
== Some Alternatives  ==
# '''Don't Consume in the First Place''' : "yea right", it's a goood goal to lessen ''some'' consuming
# '''Purchase reusable Containers''' - glass & metal. Although these containers also require significant amounts of energy and water to manufacture and to reuse.  
# ''' Recycling'''- Although it is a good feeling to recycle, we must be aware that the actual recycling process ''is not ideal'' and there needs to be ''more technological innovations'' developed, in order to lessen the impact of the tremendous environmental externalities associated with recycling, especially in plastics.
# '''Reuse the plastic bottles in different ways'''. Make things, for example; Pencil holders., small planters, bird feeders, noise makers for kids and parties, just be creative.


7. Melted plastic is cooled then fed to a pelletizer that cuts the product into small pellets.
== Five Strategies to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Plastics  ==


8. Pellets are shipped to customers.  
# '''Reduce the use Source reduction'''. Retailers and consumers can select products that use little or no packaging. Select packaging materials that are recycled into new packaging - such as glass and paper. If people refuse plastic as a packaging material, the industry will decrease production for that purpose, and the associated problems such as energy use, pollution, and adverse health effects will diminish.
# '''Reuse containers.''' Since refillable plastic containers can be reused about 25 times, container reuse can lead to a substantial reduction in the demand for disposable plastic, and reduced use of materials and energy, with the consequent reduced environmental impacts. Container designers will take into account the fate of the container beyond the point of sale and consider the service the container provides. "Design for service" differs sharply from "design for disposal".
# '''Require producers to take back resins'''. Get plastic manufacturers directly involved with plastic disposal and closing the material loop, which can stimulate them to consider the product’s life cycle from cradle to grave. Make reprocessing easier by limiting the number of container types and shapes, using only one type of resin in each container, making collapsible containers, eliminating pigments, using water-dispersible adhesives for labels, and phasing out associated metals such as aluminum seals. Container and resin makers can help develop the reprocessing infrastructure by taking back plastic from consumers.
# '''Legislatively require recycled content.'''  Requiring that all containers be composed of a percentage of post-consumer material reduces the amount of virgin material consumed.
# '''Standardize labeling and inform the public'''. The chasing arrows symbol on plastics is an example of an ambiguous and misleading label. Significantly different standardized labels for "recycled," "recyclable," and "made of plastic type X" must be developed.
http://www.ecologycenter.org/ptf/misconceptions.html


9. Customers manufacture plastic products by using processes such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, etc<references />http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/quick/plastic.html<br>
==Powerpoint presentation on the lifecycle of the water bottle==


Once the manufacuturer prepares the bottles and fills them, they are shipped off to convience stores all over the world and sold to the public.
[[Media:The Lifecycle of the water bottle.pdf‎]]


== References ==
<references/>


== External links ==
* http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10874230
* http://www.nobottle.com
* http://www.urrc.net/new/pdf/PlasticsNews-webpage.pdf
* http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-life-cycle-of-a-plastic-bottle.htm
* http://earth911.com/plastic/plastic-bottle-recycling-facts/
* http://www.plasticrecycling.com/PRabout.htm


== Where does my water bottle go when I'm "done" with it?  ==
{{copyedit|Probably needs some work on structure and checking of writing for clarity.}}


 
[[Category:Plastic bottles]]
 
[[Category:Plastic]]
== Downcycling  ==
[[Category:Food storage]]
 
== REUSE!!!  ==
 
Americans used 50 billion water bottles in 2006 and sent 38 billion water bottles to landfills, the equivalent of 912 million gallons of oil.<references />http://www.filterforgood.com/learn_the_facts.php#

Revision as of 17:58, 23 September 2015

Plastic-water-bottles.jpg

Recycling plastic bottles

Plastic bottles can be used in water treatment: a simple method of solar water disinfection involves leaving a PET bottle with water in the sun. (See the article for all t[he steps, and length of time needed for treatpoop--199.235.63.128 10:58, 23 September 2015 (PDT) ] ...and in building:

...and in gardening:

Where does plastic come from?

Plastic Bottles Come From Virgin Sources.

  • PET = Polyethylene Terephtalate: Petroleum & Natural Gas
  • Oil Extraction: Middle East, Nigeria - Environmental & Social Issues
  • Shipped to Refineries: mix HC’s from crude oil with chemical catalysts triggering polymerization - forms plastic pellets

1.5 million barrels of oil are used to produce plastic watter bottles in the US per year. That much energy could power 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year (USA Today)

Plastic Bottle Pre-forms
plastic bottle pre-forms

Plastics are sold on open market as Commodities (subject to Supply & Demand)

  1. Brokers buy virgin plastic pellets and sell to manufacturers
  2. Manufacturers (i.e. China) melt pellets into “pre-forms” (small test tubes) by heating ~270’C and mixing them to form homogeneous paste, than reheat ~100’C with infrared lamps to regain plasticity. Bottling Companies purchase “Pre-forms”
  3. Bottling Companies (i.e. Coca-Cola) stretch and blow mold the “pre-forms” under high pressure to create the bottles’ final shape. Bottles must be sterilized for FDA regulations and than they are filled, capped, labeled, packed into cases, and prepared for shipping to consumer.
  4. Producing 1 kilogram of PET plastic requires 17.5 kilograms of water and results in air emissions of 40 grams of hydrocarbons, 25 grams of sulfur oxides, 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20 grams of nitrogen oxides, and 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
  5. Much more water is consumed in making the bottles than will ever go into them. (The Green Guide)


Health concerns

Sterilizing plastic bottles in hot water can do more harm than good, as it greatly increases the rate at which bisphenol A (BPA) leaches out. In the study that suggested this, the level was 55 times higher, but still within European regulatory limits.[1]

Apart from avoiding boiling water, BPA can be avoided by switching to bottles made of high-density polyethylene.

Some Alternatives

  1. Don't Consume in the First Place : "yea right", it's a goood goal to lessen some consuming
  2. Purchase reusable Containers - glass & metal. Although these containers also require significant amounts of energy and water to manufacture and to reuse.
  3. Recycling- Although it is a good feeling to recycle, we must be aware that the actual recycling process is not ideal and there needs to be more technological innovations developed, in order to lessen the impact of the tremendous environmental externalities associated with recycling, especially in plastics.
  4. Reuse the plastic bottles in different ways. Make things, for example; Pencil holders., small planters, bird feeders, noise makers for kids and parties, just be creative.

Five Strategies to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Plastics

  1. Reduce the use Source reduction. Retailers and consumers can select products that use little or no packaging. Select packaging materials that are recycled into new packaging - such as glass and paper. If people refuse plastic as a packaging material, the industry will decrease production for that purpose, and the associated problems such as energy use, pollution, and adverse health effects will diminish.
  2. Reuse containers. Since refillable plastic containers can be reused about 25 times, container reuse can lead to a substantial reduction in the demand for disposable plastic, and reduced use of materials and energy, with the consequent reduced environmental impacts. Container designers will take into account the fate of the container beyond the point of sale and consider the service the container provides. "Design for service" differs sharply from "design for disposal".
  3. Require producers to take back resins. Get plastic manufacturers directly involved with plastic disposal and closing the material loop, which can stimulate them to consider the product’s life cycle from cradle to grave. Make reprocessing easier by limiting the number of container types and shapes, using only one type of resin in each container, making collapsible containers, eliminating pigments, using water-dispersible adhesives for labels, and phasing out associated metals such as aluminum seals. Container and resin makers can help develop the reprocessing infrastructure by taking back plastic from consumers.
  4. Legislatively require recycled content. Requiring that all containers be composed of a percentage of post-consumer material reduces the amount of virgin material consumed.
  5. Standardize labeling and inform the public. The chasing arrows symbol on plastics is an example of an ambiguous and misleading label. Significantly different standardized labels for "recycled," "recyclable," and "made of plastic type X" must be developed.

http://www.ecologycenter.org/ptf/misconceptions.html

Powerpoint presentation on the lifecycle of the water bottle

Media:The Lifecycle of the water bottle.pdf‎

References

  1. Plastic bottles pose health risk if boiled, New Scientist 31 January 2008.

External links

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