While we listen to concerns of the need to promote plastics recycling how many of us actually get to witness the recovery of recycled trash before your eyes?
At the invitation of Spencer L. Knapp, President-Western Plastics Pioneers, WPP, I attended their May12th Board Meeting that was held at Cerritos College where I actually witnessed their Plastics Recycling and Education Trailer in action. “This 20 foot self-contained mobile demonstration unit opens up for on-site interactive recycling demonstrations.”
It has been reported that “people in the U.S. throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles an hour.
Plastic is one of the most disposable materials in the U.S. culture. We throw away milk bottles, soda bottles, water bottles, trash bags, grocery bags and product packaging. ” One report goes on to say that “while plastic is easy to recycle only 10% of plastic bottles created are recycled, leaving an extra 90% to take up space in landfills and killing ocean life.”
Another report states that “plastics represents a 14 to 22% in volume of solid waste. It can be melted and recycled, making it a thermoplastic elastomer but the recycling degrade the properties. Another difficulty is the management of plastics that are difficult to separate from other materials for its recycling. On the other hand recycling can be a cost-effective possibility if we take into account the social cost of landfills as well as fees.”
I witnessed a one gallon plastic milk container that was put into a grinder, then injection molded, and watched as it came out as two dozen red plastic frogs. Terry Price, Cerritos College Manufacturing Technology Department Chairman, told me that they have also made Frisbees using the same recycling process.
As this was a luncheon meeting I could not overlook the number of items made of plastic beginning with the container that we all use for taking home leftovers. Inside was a plastic fork and knife in a clear plastic package. The cup containing the salad and its lid were also made of plastic as well as the bottles of juice which we drank.
WPP President Knapp told me that there are numerous items made of plastic with different properties. The jargon of plastic engineers includes polymers and molecules, polyethylene (used for plastic grocery bags) to polycarbonate (shatterproof windows) and polypropylene, another polymer.
Beyond the shopping bag at your corner grocery, think about all the different applications you come into contact with each and every day.
“Due to their relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, and imperviousness to water, plastics are used in an enormous and expanding range of products, from paper clips to spaceships. They have already displaced many traditional materials, such as wood; stone; horn and bone; leather; paper; metal; glass; and ceramic, in most of their former uses.”
At one point in the meeting WPP Secretary Chris Mitchell provided some trivia as he shared the story of elephant tusks that from the1600’s were used for billiard balls. As you can only get 4-5 balls out of one tusk vast numbers of elephants were killed for their ivory which was also used for piano keys. John Wesley Hyatt entered a contest and invented (and patented) celluloid which became a quality replacement for ivory.
Plastics Recycling Trailer – The Plastics Department is involved in education through more than just traditional courses. The department has developed a Plastics Recycling Trailer with the help of its sponsors, the Western Plastics Pioneers, the SPI Western Section, The American Plastics Council (APC) and Cerritos College. The trailer functions as a “classroom on wheels” providing information about ecological issues of plastics and actually perform “on site” plastics recycling. The vehicle is intended to visit schools K-12, County Fairs and Trade Shows.
TICS RECYCLING PROGRAM
The Plastics Recycling Program is designed to educate the general pubic on issues of plastics recycling and to provide a mobile educational tool for plastics recycling and production. The program focus is to inform and distribute literature on the applications of plastic recycling at civic events, schools, trade shows and local industries. The mobile unit will provide an “on-site” interactive recycling demonstration, expanding knowledge and awareness to the plastics consumer.
One upcoming opportunity to witness the recycling demonstration is the 2nd Annual KidECO Fair that will be held at Cal State Long Beach on Friday, August 7th, 2009
The Western Plastics Pioneers, WPP, with a membership in excess of 100, is composed of current and former men and women who have worked in the plastics industry. Their Mission Statement is to “provide a method of promoting plastics recycling to the local community.”
Gilbert note. It is worth pointing out that the city of San Francisco has the highest recycling rate in the nation at 72%. I believe the CA mandate is 50%.
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