Plastic is one of the cheapest and most readily available resources on Earth. It started as a cost-friendly alternative to glass and paper. Plastic became popular quickly because its advantages outshined its alternatives.
Over time, research into the plastic industry showed that plastic is non-biodegradable and will take centuries to decompose. This led to another problem: the safe disposal of plastic. People came up with landfills; however, that idea quickly becomes unfavorable as millions of tonnes of plastic waste are produced daily.
Then came the option of recycling plastic. The research was done into the safest ways to recycle plastic, and companies like Mapa Machinery came up with plastic recycling machines that sorted and recycled it.
Why must plastic be recycled?
Plastic takes centuries to decompose, which is why it becomes a burden to keep on Earth. Plastic is made from petroleum, and the manufacturing process requires burning this petroleum. This results in the emission of greenhouse gases that cause tears in the ozone layer and negatively impact the environment of Earth.
Plastic cannot be burnt either as it causes more emissions.
Not all plastic is recyclable.
There is a general presumption that all plastic can be recycled. This is not true. Only three out of six types of plastic can be safely recycled. For the rest, it wouldn’t be economically feasible to recycle them. In this case, the use of non-recyclable plastics is heavily discouraged internationally.
Plastic with food residue cannot be recycled
Many recycling centers have come up with the problem of plastics with food residue being disposed of in the recycling bin. The truth is, these plastics cannot be individually cleaned considering the volume of rubbish recycling centers get.
This residue interferes with the quality of the product made from recycled plastic and hence eliminates the main aim of recycling in the first place. A better option is to clean your containers before throwing them out, which will ensure they get recycled.
Its alternatives can be recycled
Plastic started as a cheaper alternative to glass, metal, and paper containers. It quickly rose to fame as it was much cheaper and readily available. However, now, its damage outweighs its benefits. Metal and glass can be infinitely recycled and are the better option in the long term.
The bottom line
Plastic recycling is crucial to the environment to make the damages at least worth what has been produced. Over time, plastic production will be discouraged and discontinued.
