Plastic Disposal Problems

One of the best features about plastic is that it can be virtually indestructible. This makes it ideal to use for products such as milk bottles and drinking cups. However, this same quality makes disposing of plastic a major environmental headache. Recycling plastic does provide a partial solution, but the fact remains that once plastic is ready for the trash heap, it becomes a real problem.

The Problem with Plastic

The major problem with disposing of plastic is that it is non-biodegradable. This is one reason plastic is so durable. However, it differs in this respect from paper and organic substances. Instead, plastic photodegrades, which means that the sun breaks plastic down into smaller pieces of plastic, rather than down to the basic elements which make up the plastic.

Plastic in Landfills

Plastic accounts for approximately 25 percent of all refuse in landfills. This fact alone makes the disposal of plastic a major problem. Combined with the fact that plastic is non-biodegradable, this makes the presence of plastic in landfills a critical issue. In addition, plastic bags and plastic rings (for six-packs of aluminum cans) have been known to catch birds' wings or necks, trapping them and often resulting in their deaths.

Plastic in Incinerators

Incineration is generally an environmentally unfriendly means of plastic disposal. It results in polluting agents being released into the atmosphere, often without any filtering or treatment of any kind. A similar process called pyrolysis, designed to make plastic reusable in oil and chemical refineries, bakes plastics into a sort of hydrocarbon soup. Both processes are more expensive than recycling.

Plastic in Recycling

Recycling represents a potential means of reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic disposal. However, presently, only a very small percentage of plastic is actually recycled. Approximately 15 to 27 percent of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is recycled annually. PET plastics are primarily used for soft-drink bottles. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic is commonly used for shampoo bottles, milk jugs and other types of so-called rigid plastic containers. Approximately 10 percent of HDPE plastic is recycled annually.

Plastic in Waterways

Much plastic waste is improperly disposed. A large percentage of improperly disposed plastic winds up floating in the ocean. For example, in 2003, a collection of plastic debris approximately the size of the state of Texas was discovered to be floating in the North Pacific. Plastic debris in waterways is often torn by photodegradation into small pieces which are eaten by marine animals, some of which wind up in the human diet.

References

• Seven Misconceptions about Plastic and Plastic Recycling
• Effect of Plastic Particles on The Environment
• Trashed: across the Pacific Ocean, plastics, plastics, everywhere

Resources

• Good Stuff? - Plastic Bags
• Plastic Waste Prevention
• Plastics Information and Resources