plastic - reduce, reuse, recycle - home

THEFACTSABOUT

Making PET bottles fromrecycled materials uses84% less energy thanproducing them from rawmaterials.

Recycling125 plasticmilk bottlesis enough tomake one140 litrewheelie-bin.

Making products fromrecycled plastics insteadof virgin materialsreduces water usage by90%, carbon dioxide by2.5 tonnes, and energyconsumption by twothirds.

It is estimated thatthere are up to46,000 pieces ofplastic floating ineach square mileof our oceans.

It can take up to500 years forplastic bottles tobreak down inlandfill.

By recycling just oneplastic drink bottle you cansave enough energy topower a computer for 25 minutes.

A refrigeratorcan run forone monthon theenergy savedby recyclingjust onetonne ofplastic.

PLASTICIN AUSTRALIA, 376,000 TONNES OF PLASTIC PACKAGING IS USED EVERY YEAR. IN 2010 WE RECYCLED 288,194 TONNES.

THE PRODUCTION OF PLASTIC REQUIRES OIL, GAS AND COAL, AND EMITSGREENHOUSE GASES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. IT ALSOCONTAMINATES OUR OCEANS, KILLING MILLIONS OF MARINE ANIMALS EVERY YEAR.

WHAT HAPPENSTO PLASTIC?

THEFACTSABOUT

Sources: The Plastics and ChemicalIndustries Association, ResourceSmart, Plastic Technology, HalveWaste and Clean Up.

COLLECTIONPlastic is collected from homes,businesses and recycling sites

and sent to a MaterialsRecycling Facility (MRF).

PROCESSING 2The plastic is melted and

pushed through an extruder(which is a bit like a spaghettimaker). It is then cooled and

pressed into a die and choppedor pelletised into granules.

PROCESSING 1The baled plastic is shredded,

then washed to remove furthercontaminants and passed undera magnet to remove any metal.

PLASTIC

SEPARATIONThe plastic is sorted into

polymer types.

BALINGIt is then baled (compressed by

a machine) and sent to aplastics processor where large

contaminants are removed.

NEW PRODUCTSThe recycled plastic granules

can then be spun into fibres tomake new plastic bottles,

fleeces, sleeping bags, pens,carpet, and plastic tables and

chairs.

January 2012