Recycling plastic downgrades it's quality

RECYCLING PLASTIC DOWNGRADES ITS QUALITY.

First, it’s important to know that plastics are simply polymers, long chains of atoms “arranged in repeating units often much longer than those found in nature.”

According to the Science History Institute, the “length of these chains, and the patterns in which they are arranged, are what make polymers strong, lightweight, and flexible. In other words, it’s what makes them so plastic.”

EVERY TIME PLASTIC IS RECYCLED, THE POLYMER CHAIN GROWS SHORTER, SO ITS QUALITY DECREASES.

The same piece of plastic can only be recycled about 2-3 times before its quality decreases to the point where it can no longer be used.

Additionally, each time plastic is recycled, additional virgin material is added to help “upgrade” its quality, so that the recycled product has a fighting chance in the market against new, durable and fresh goods. So when you read the label “recycled material,” think twice about what the word “recycled” actually means in that context.

 

Posted: Thursday 19 December 2019

Tags