About Plastic Packaging

Plastic packaging has become an ubiquitous part of contemporary life. Consumer products from soda and salad dressing to shampoo and baby lotion comes packaged in plastic. The latest hit CD comes encased in a plastic jewel case and shrink wrapped with a thin plastic covering. Commercial ventures use plastic packaging for shipping and storage. The low cost and high adaptability of plastic makes it an ideal product for numerous packaging applications. Unfortunately, plastic does not decompose quickly making it a nuisance when it comes to disposing of plastic packaging.

Polyethylene Terephthalate

Polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET or polyester, is a favorite resin used to make plastic packaging. It has the advantage of being tough and transparent. Because it has excellent moisture protection properties, PET is a popular choice for the beverage industry. PET is also popular for its ability to be recycled for the carpet and geo-textile industries.

High Density Polyethylene

High density polyethylene, also known as HDPE is also popular for the manufacture of bottles used for consumer products. HDPE not only provides excellent moisture protection, it is also resistant to chemical infiltration, making it a popular choice for companies that produce household cleaning products such as bleach, dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. HDPE can be recycled into plastic lumber and bottles for non-food applications.

Polyvinyl Chloride

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly called PVC or vinyl, is tough and has excellent resistance to moisture and chemicals. It can be manufactured to specifications that make the final product either quite rigid or quite flexible. In its flexible mode PVC is frequently used for shrink wrap applications and for when exceptionally tough but flexible bags are needed such as blood bags in the medical field. Rigid PVC is used for clamshell packaging and blister packs. PVC can be recycled into floor mats, electrical boxes, traffic cones and loose-leaf binders.

Low Density Polyethylene

Low density polyethylene, also known as LDPE, is tough, flexible and transparent. It is popular for packaging needs where heat sealing is desirable. LDPE is frequently used to make squeeze bottles for condiments such as mustard, catsup and honey. But it is also used to make container lids. LDPE can be recycled into a variety of products from shipping envelopes to garbage can liners.

Waste

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates, packaging materials contributed nearly 64 million tons to the nation's municipal landfills in 2005, taking up nearly one-third of all of the solid waste. Plastic packaging materials made up nearly 14 million tons of that amount. Approximately three-fourths of the plastic containers that ended up in municipal landfills came from residential household.

References

• Earth 911
• American Chemistry

Resources

• Plastic Recycling Misconceptions