What Is a Plastic?

• A plastic is a very common substance comprised of long carbon chains. Plastic is a polymer, which means that it is made of many monomers (single molecules, in this case, of carbon). There are dozens of types of plastics; however, almost all of them are derivatives of petroleum. Many plastics melt when high heat is applied. This is key to the process of recycling plastic.
  
  

Recycling Plastics

• Plastic recycling is not nearly as simple as recycling other materials. Because of the variation in the types of plastics, only plastics of the same type can be melted together. Otherwise, the plastics will separate as liquids and cause the recycled material to have different strengths and properties, depending on the layer of plastic. So, plastic recycling is done by sorting and melting down similar types of plastic and re-using the product of that melts.
  
  

Where Does Recycled Plastic Go?

• Many recycled plastics are sold to companies as post-consumer product for use in new products. The quality of these products is not jeopardized because the same plastic that would have been used for the product is replaced with recycled plastic of the same nature. Recently, plastics have been used in the creation of new road surfaces, which is a great product of plastic recycling due to its addition of strength to the road surface and economical use of plastic that would normally damage the environment. Whatever happens to the plastic we recycle, it is important that plastic recycling be practiced due to the fact that plastics decompose in landfills at an incredibly slow rate, which severely damages the environment.