The Fun Side Of Thermoplastics: Trivia You Will Love To Know
If you must know, thermoplastic is one very common material we use daily. We can identify this as being the commonly used material for our water bottles, nylon stockings and even the PVC pipes used for our homes, as well as the baggie we let our kids take to school to store their lunch in. Thermoplastic packaging actually comes in several different types and to further educate you about them, here are some facts which you will find fun and interesting too.
For example, like so many English words, the word "plastic" has its roots its roots in the Greek language. The Greek word "plastkos" actually means moldable which is understandable since thermoplastics are plastics that are easy to mold when heat is applied to these polymers. To make things out of thermoplastic, thermoforming companies take large, thin sheets of plastic, heat them up and mold them into the shape of various products and many types of thermoplastic packaging.
There are plastics which are actually biodegradable though probably not how you think of it to be. As the common perception of people about the term "biodegradable" is that it is compostable where when one is biodegradable it naturally breaks down into compost. The same is not true with plastic however. Although biodegradable plastics can be broken down, only a few types actually compost down into the organic substance which is called humus. One good thing though is that thermoplastics come amply recyclable which is why one should always note to place them in recycling bins.
One type of thermoplastic is the most common of plastics and that is "polyethylene." It is this type of plastic that is responsible for the manufacture of millions of products annually including the plastic bags and plastic bottles you use quite often. And this polyethylene also has several varying types which you will find classified by polymer names just like the polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), the low-density polyethylene or LDPE and the high-density polyethylene or HDPE. This particular plastic is not compostable making it an essential addition to the "must recycle" list in order to ensure that its environmental impact is reduced.
Do you know that all thermoplastics come with designated codes just as both the polyethylene terephthalate and the high-density polyethylene have their corresponding special resin codes as well? For these two, 1 or 2 are their resin codes. They are both generally welcomed to be tossed into recycling bins of most every reuse and recycling companies in the United States. As for other thermoplastics with different resin codes, some cities ensure that they too are accepted, but not all cities allow other plastics into the recycling bin.
Recycling is important for plastics and not only because it reduces landfill waste and helps protect the habitats of marine and land animals. It takes much less energy to recycle thermoplastic products and thermoplastic packaging than it does to create plastic items from "scratch." In fact, every water bottle that is recycled is said to save enough energy to power a 60-Watt light bulb for several hours, and that's just one single bottle.
For example, like so many English words, the word "plastic" has its roots its roots in the Greek language. The Greek word "plastkos" actually means moldable which is understandable since thermoplastics are plastics that are easy to mold when heat is applied to these polymers. To make things out of thermoplastic, thermoforming companies take large, thin sheets of plastic, heat them up and mold them into the shape of various products and many types of thermoplastic packaging.
There are plastics which are actually biodegradable though probably not how you think of it to be. As the common perception of people about the term "biodegradable" is that it is compostable where when one is biodegradable it naturally breaks down into compost. The same is not true with plastic however. Although biodegradable plastics can be broken down, only a few types actually compost down into the organic substance which is called humus. One good thing though is that thermoplastics come amply recyclable which is why one should always note to place them in recycling bins.
One type of thermoplastic is the most common of plastics and that is "polyethylene." It is this type of plastic that is responsible for the manufacture of millions of products annually including the plastic bags and plastic bottles you use quite often. And this polyethylene also has several varying types which you will find classified by polymer names just like the polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), the low-density polyethylene or LDPE and the high-density polyethylene or HDPE. This particular plastic is not compostable making it an essential addition to the "must recycle" list in order to ensure that its environmental impact is reduced.
Do you know that all thermoplastics come with designated codes just as both the polyethylene terephthalate and the high-density polyethylene have their corresponding special resin codes as well? For these two, 1 or 2 are their resin codes. They are both generally welcomed to be tossed into recycling bins of most every reuse and recycling companies in the United States. As for other thermoplastics with different resin codes, some cities ensure that they too are accepted, but not all cities allow other plastics into the recycling bin.
Recycling is important for plastics and not only because it reduces landfill waste and helps protect the habitats of marine and land animals. It takes much less energy to recycle thermoplastic products and thermoplastic packaging than it does to create plastic items from "scratch." In fact, every water bottle that is recycled is said to save enough energy to power a 60-Watt light bulb for several hours, and that's just one single bottle.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell likes blogging about how stuff is made. For additional information about custom packaging solutions or to find out more about thermoform packaging, please check out the Indepak website today.
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