What do the numbers on plastic mean? And 3 other trashy questions, answered.
Curated from: popsci.com
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Plastic Is Evil
Plastic is made of natural gas, fossil fuels and byproducts of crude oil, and is used so widely that it is causing havoc to wildlife, air, water, land, plants and humans.
- Though recycling may not have many of its advertised benefits, it does help reduce plastic production to some extent.
- The people making plastic are not telling the gullible public about the gravity of the problem and what steps to take.
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Arrows And Numbers
The three arrows chasing each other symbol on most plastic products means it is made of plastic resin, and not that it is recycle friendly.
Plastics embossed with the numbers 1 and 2 can be recycled, but 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 may not be recyclable.
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Bioplastics
Bioplastics are made from plant material instead of fossil fuels creating an impression that they are biodegradable. That is misleading, as they are chemically just like traditional plastic with the same waste problems.
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Compostable Plastic
Biodegradable plastics are dangerous to the environment, as they degrade into microplastics, being pushed into soil, water and food.
Compostable plastic isn’t the same thing as organic waste(banana peels and eggshells) but an entirely different entity that needs to be recycled.
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The Plastic Menace
If recycling plastic is a headache, one can avoid plastics altogether by using glass, cloth, cardboard and ceramics.
- We as individuals make up a tiny fraction of plastic consumption.
- It is the corporations that produce dangerous plastic in insanely large quantities for packaging and shipping products.
- We need to support companies that truly care for the environment.
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