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What happens to the plastic?


When your plastic is collected, this is what happens to it.

First of all it is sorted out, to make sure that all the same kind of plastic is kept together.

Some kinds of plastic are not suitable for recycling.

Because plastic softdrink bottles take up so much room, they are squashed together.

Do you realise you could do this at home before recycling them? Fill your plastic bottle with hot water, then squish it up, and put the top on. It will take up far less room in your green bin!

Then the plastic is "granulated". This means that a machine grinds it up into tiny little flakes that can be melted down and made into a new product.

This is a box of flakes made from plastic milk containers. It will be sent away for another company to make products like the ones you see below.


Here is a pallet for carrying heavy things

Here is an outside picnic table and chairs in a park

FOLLOWUP

 

1. Have a try at squashing up your plastic milk bottles. What is the best way to make them smaller, so they will fit in your green recycling bin?

2. The objects in the last boxes above are usually made from wood. Do a PMI (plus / minus / interesting) about using recycled plastic instead of wood.

3. Can you think of any other products that would be suitable for making from recycled plastic?

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