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Thursday 28 May 2020

Topic 2 Plastic.

WALT: Know the ways of plastic being recyclable or not.

Task Description: Today in Science Class we learnt about Plastic, and we are learning how to reuse it and what type of plastic we can reuse. Also sorting out plastic facts into positive, negative, and nutrient, also earning about what each stage of plastic of what is recyclable. We also had to bring plastic to our lesson and sort it out with the sheet below, whether it's recyclable or not.



Plastic!


FAQs on Plastics - Our World in Data



Plastics Facts:


Positive- 



  • Plastics are produced from by-products of crude oil. Because of this, they can be broken back down into a usable product.
  • Plastic is lightweight, strong and easy to create. It has been used in endless ways. . . .  and it’s so cheap to make and buy. Other more expensive natural material, such as wood, metals, silk and animal skin have been replaced by plastics.
  • Biodegradable refers to the ability of materials to break down and return to nature. For packaging products or materials to qualify as biodegradable, they must completely break down and decompose into natural elements. The decomposing process must take a short time after disposal - typically a year or less.


Negative-



  • Great and rare sea birds like albatrosses get tangled up in old fishing gear and die. Around 400,000 marine mammals die every year due to plastic pollution in oceans.
  • Since the 1950’s, one billion tons of plastic has been thrown away around the world. Micro-plastic - minute particles of plastic have been found in the deepest oceans we can explore, on the highest mountains we can climb, and in the most remote areas of the world.
  • A big source of micro plastics in wastewater from washing machines. Washing synthetic clothes in rivers and lakes does the same thing.
  • Plastics generally have a short life compared to metals. This short life cycle results in pile-ups of unwanted garbage in the homes, streets, towns,villages, waterways, and waste yards.  In some cities in the world creek and river waters don’t follow because of the plastics build up.
  • Since the 1950’s, one billion tons of plastic has been thrown away around the world. Micro-plastic - minute particles of plastic have been found in the deepest oceans we can explore, on the highest mountains we can climb, and in the most remote areas of the world. 
          
Some plastics are highly flammable - for example: polystyrene, acrylics, polyethylene and nylons commonly used in packaging, home and office appliances. This makes them a fire hazard.
  • Many marine animals mistake some type of plastic for food and eat them. Turtles often die because it blocks their digestive system, sothey starve. Marine animals (like dolphins) often get trapped by plastic nets or ropes and either drown or starve to death.
  • The durability and long-lasting life of plastics are the things that cause problems in the environment. It will take decades . . . .centuries before plastics that are now on earth begin to break down.
  • Sea creatures, like worms, molluscs and crustaceans, are at the bottom of the food chain - that is, are eaten by other larger animals. They often end up ingesting microplastics. . . which then pass up the food chain. Other animals, and humans, end up with microplastics in their bodies . . . and get sick or die.
  • Polythene bags - the ones given out or sold in shops and used for packaging, are easily carried by wind, something that makes them almost impossible to collect for recycling.


Nutreul-



  • The first synthetic plastic was made in 1907 by a Belgian named Leo Baekeland. He invented bakelite in a lab in New York. Bakelite was known as the ‘the material of 1,000 uses’. It has been used to make phones, radios, jewellery, chess sets and so much more.

Activity:



We had to bring plastic along to Science Class and we used it to put in groups with the Plastic Template at the very top. Our plastic that we have brang is in categories, check the photo up top and see what type of plastic we have.


Here is the number of categories we have had and the order:

Symbol
Polymer
Common Uses
Properties
Recyclable?
1:PETE
Polyethylene
terephthalate
Plastic Bottles (water,soft drinks,cooking oil)
Clear, strong, and lightweight
Yes; widely recycled
2:HDPE
High-Density
Polyethylene
Milk container, cleaning agents, shampoo bottles, bleach bottles
Stiff and hard wearing; hard to break down in sunlight
Yes; widely recycled
4:LDPE
Low-Density
Polyethylene
Plastic Bags, food wrapping (e.g bread, fruit, vegetables)
Lightweight, low cost, versatile; fails under mechanical and thermal stress
No; failure under stress makes it hard to recycle
5:PP
Polypropylene
Bottle lids, food tubs, furniture, houseware, medical, rope, automobile parts
Tough and resistant; effective barrier against water and chemicals
Often not recyclable; available in some locations; check local recycling

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