Recycling plastic 101: SM recycling market fair on Aug. 1 and 2
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The Recycling Market Fair held every first Friday and Saturday of each month at SM City Baguio has become a habit for many environment conscious shoppers who wish to dispose of their waste items properly.
Molten plastic is formed into strands which are then chopped into uniform pellets. Photo courtesy of SM
A joint project of the SM Supermalls, in cooperation with National Solid Waste Management Committee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other government agencies, the event brings together shoppers and recycling companies. Shoppers bring their paper, plastic, and electronic wastes, which recyclers in turn purchase.
But what do recyclers do with the items that they buy? It is amazing how these are transformed into very functional products, and how trading these have a great impact on the environment.
With the next Recycling Market Fair coming up on August 1 and 2 at the SM City Baguio Department Store Rotunda, here are some Recycling 101 on how plastic products are recycled.
Did you notice that plastic products have identification codes consisting of arrows forming a triangular shape with a number in the middle? That code is one’s key to identifying that kind of plastic which is the first step in recycling.
Water and beverage bottles, for example, are made of PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate mineral; grocery bags, produce bags, food wraps are made out of LPDE or Low Density Polyethylene; and take home boxes, egg cartons and CD cases are PS or Polystyrene products.
After the plastics are identified and sorted, these are washed, shredded into flakes, and fed into an extruder where heat and pressure melt the plastic. The molten plastic is then formed into strands, which is them chopped into uniform pellets. These plastic pellets are then sold to manufacturing companies who can use these as raw materials for new products.
A wide range of products may be made from these plastic pellets. Among these are items for the home like baskets, chairs, trays, as well as construction materials like PVC sewer pipes, flooring and window frames. These can also be made into plastic bags, CD and video cassette cases, garden furniture, fiber filling for sleeping bags and office furniture.
What is saved when recycling plastics? Recycling plastics conserves nonrenewable fossil fuels as plastic production uses eight percent of the world’s oil production. It also reduces the consumption of energy, reduces amounts of solid waste going to landfills and reduces the emission of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide.
Polytrader, a plastic recycling company based in Cabuyao, Laguna is a major purchaser and supplier of plastic scrap materials. Itsr line of services includes containerization, hauling, on-site preparation, and removal and a full range of recycling services.
Do not miss SM’s Recycling Market Fair on August 1 and 2 from 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at SM City Baguio. # SM Release
