Plastics are man-made synthetic substances, yet they emulate materials found in nature featuring valuable engineering properties. Since the days of the first synthetic material, plastics have evolved from the cheap mass-produced products of yesteryear to a group of highly specialized materials capable of solving a multitude of unusual problems. Modern plastics are incorporated into the design of airplanes, radio telescopes, automobiles, and artificial lakes.

Many experts, including doctors and scientists, recommend using glass for food and beverage storage, because it is non-toxic, inert, and 100% recyclable. It has three main drawbacks: (1) it is heavier than plastic or stainless steel; (2) it is breakable; and (3) because it is breakable, it may not be allowed everywhere (e.g., school, swimming pools, beaches).

The numbers inside the "chasing arrows" recycling symbol on the bottom of plastic containers sadly aren’t a consumer guide to recyclability. They cryptically indicate the plastic resin content of the plastic. Your local recycler or pickup service can tell you which numbers it accepts for recycling — but it’s not quite that simple.

A-1: The initial application or contents play an important role in whether or not plastics can be considered recyclable. Example; EPA and DOT both restrict the storage and/or transportation of containers that may contain or leak hydrocarbons, hazardous waste or other unknown liquids. Therefore, those used to contain oils, pesticides, herbicides, other hazardous substances or drip unknown substance considered a threat to life or the environment must be properly disposed of.

The Plastics Web® from IDES is your portal into everything plastics! The site enables you to quickly locate plastics content available from both IDES and other plastics industry websites - all from one search. You can find plastics suppliers, grades of plastic, detailed information on material families, and an enormous amount of technical information so that you can find answers to your questions quickly. Read more about The Plastics Web®.

Theoretically all plastics are recyclable. However, there must be an end market for the type to be recycled, and they must be separated into the same resin type. A number inside a triangle of "chasing arrows" on the bottom of each container indicates the type of plastic. _______

Since April 2005 the council has introduced plastic bottle banks at some recycling centres. We can only recycle plastic bottles and cannot accept items such as food trays, carrier bags, tubs and yoghurt pots. For more information see our section on plastics recycling.

The Plastics Exchange is the spot market for trading commodity grade resins and a trusted source of market intelligence.

Polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene copolymer (PPCO) products can be autoclaved many times. We have PP containers in our lab that have been autoclaved over 100 times and, although they have yellowed somewhat, they are still in service. Fluoropolymer products, i.e., products made of Teflon PFA, FEP or ETFE, can all be autoclaved without problems, except for the stopcocks in NALGENE Separatory Funnels, which should not be autoclaved because of resultant leakage problems.

All plastics can be recycled in City of Fresno blue carts and bins. This includes unnumbered plastics but not Styrofoam.

No. The great advantage offered by plastics is that they can be custom-engineered for a particular application. A slight change in a plastic's molecular structure can result in substantial changes of its properties.

POLYETHYLENEA chemically stable, transparent, food safe plastic used in photographic preservation materials. PVC (POLYVINYL CHLORIDE)PVC is a common plastic which because it is chemically unstable releases a chlorine gas. When this gas settles onto a surface it turns into hydrochloric acid. This acid will cause photographs to fade and discolour. PAGE PROTECTORThese are protective plastic sleeves which cover your scrapbook pages.

There is nothing more frustrating than a crack in a piece of Plexiglas or Lexan. Both of these materials are "notch sensitive". By the way, so is glass! That's why you can scribe and break glass (and Plexiglas) along the scribe. These materials have no grain and therefore cracks can travel as they please. However, cracks can be stopped with a simple procedure. Using a very small drill bit, 1/16" or so, drill a hole through the material at the end of the crack. That's it.

According to an Environmental Working Group (2007) report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has failed to protect the public and develop safety standards that reflect the more than 200 studies of low-dose BPA toxicity. The FDA has determined that humans are typically exposed to safe levels of BPA; however, their determinations do not consider more recent studies showing that even lower doses cause permanent harm to laboratory animals.

The KLR bodywork is made out of polypropylene (a.k.a. Tupperware) for durability. PP used to be impossible to bond, but as it is being more widely used in the automotive industry, adhesives were developed. One of the best is 3M Scotch-Weld Plastic Adhesive DP8005. (Thanks, Mike.)

Companies don't make aftermarket parts for the KLR like they do for dirt bikes. Acerbis front fenders for 1999-2002 KTMs will fit if you enlarge the holes laterally with a file. You will also want to add fender washers to the mounting bolts, as the holes are large to begin with and the stock washers will have minimal contact with the plastic. Acerbis part numbers for the KTM fenders are 15830805, Black; 15830884, KTM Orange; 15830881, Silver. Price is roughly $23.

present, the NYC's recycling program accepts ONLY plastic bottles and jugs. CHECK THE NECK: if it's smaller than the body, put it in the recycling bin. If it is NOT a bottle or jug, put it in the regular garbage. Over 90% of all plastic bottles and jugs are made of #1 PET and #2 HDPE. Other plastic items, including tubs, trays, pots, toys, and bags, may be composed of any number of other resins (PS, LDPE, PVC, etc.) that are present in extremely low quantities in our waste stream.

The Green Guide (see March/April 2004 Internet Link) and other sources indicate that certain plastics may leach harmful chemicals into the food or beverages contained within them.

Both. Chevron Phillips Chemical is a global leader in the production of olefins and polyolefins. We are also a principal supplier of aromatics, alpha olefins, styrenics, specialty chemicals, polyethylene pipe, and proprietary plastics.

Peek cream or foam will work great on most plastics. It will remove oxidation, graffiti, stains and minor scuffs from Plexiglas, Lucite, Acrylics, Vinyl windows and many other plastics. Some plastics are too soft or are made of various materials that Peek does not work on. We recommend that you test Peek in a small, hidden area to be sure.

Boy, who writes these questions? We have to give him a raise, because this one's a hanging curveball. In a nutshell: In many cases it is less expensive to buy exactly what you need, rather than buying extra to satisfy a minimum order requirement.

The database allows you to access names of companies that are authorized to provide plastic materials bearing a UL Component Recognition Marking; provides information relating to limitations or special conditions applying to the plastic component; and gives the titles and designations of standards or requirements that have been used for the evaluation of plastic materials in a category. [top]

Plastics are very expensive to recycle, mainly because there are so many different types and they are so light but bulky. It is hard to find ‘end users’ who will recycle them into new things. Whilst we cannot collect them here at the moment, this situation may change in the future. Please contact Waste Management on 01782 742592 or e-mail wastemanagement@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk for further details.

PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) (see PHA history) are a very broad and versatile family of polymers that are made biologically, converting sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using microbial or plant bio-factories. Technically, they are a family of aliphatic polyesters.

In many applications, PHAs provide a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to currently used polymers based on fossil carbon. They also bring new functionality to the market place, making possible new product concepts that cannot be delivered with current ranges of materials. An example of this is flushable wet wipes, which combine the stability of Natural Plastics to water with their biodegradability.

At this time, Metabolix supplies PHA materials to qualified parties under Material Transfer Agreements. We do not otherwise provide samples.