Derya ARIKK Chemical Engineering Yeditepe University November 12, 2008

Contents
Introduction
Beneficial properties of plastics Disadvantages of plastics

How can plastic pollution be prevented

Recycling and Reusing Conclusion

Introduction
There are over fifty different unique families of

plastics and each family have dozens of variations. American Society of Plastics Industry developed 7 main types of plastics:

Beneficial Properties of Plastics

Transportation cost is less than the other materials

because plastics have lighter weight. They have resistance to chemicals and water. They are excellent electrical insulators. They are relatively inexpensive to product.

Disadvantages of Plastics
Plastic production requires large quantities of

resources. Toxic materials are used in production. Their break down takes hundreds of years. Plastics hurt the wild life, especially marine animals.

Sea turtles confuse plastic bags with medusae and eat them. This causes death of sea turtles.

Plastic fishnets get around seals neck and kill them.

How can plastic pollution be prevented

Reusing
Recycling

Recycling
There are two types of recycling 1. Mechanical Recycling Melting, shredding or granulation of waste plastics. 2. Chemical Recycling Breaking down polymers into monomers.

RECYCLED HDPE

Recycling
Collecting plastic wastes

Recycled Plastics

Seperating plastics due to their types

An increasing number of local authorities are now providing plastic collection services.

Melting of plastics Moulding Recycled plastics Granulation of plastics

Reusing
More preferable to recycling.
Plastic containers and bags should be used again.

Conclusion
This research suggests collecting waste plastics for

reusing and recycling, because those help to provide environmental pollution.