Plastic has improved our world in numerous ways. In the last few decades, plastic has been replacing expensive and valuable materials for everyday use. Furthermore, it has proved time and again to be more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and safer to use.
However, the benefits of plastics don’t stop there. By recycling them, we can give plastics a new life and continue to use them in our daily lives without negatively impacting the environment.
Let’s take a look at some of the everyday plastics that we use and what they can become after recycling.
1. Playground Equipment & Recycle Bins
What can be made out of them? Glad you asked. When they are segregated and recycled, they can be turned into interesting and useful products such as playground equipment, picnic tables, plastic lumber, recycling bins, lawn furniture, and other types of bottles and containers.
2. Park Benches & Backyard Decks
From keeping our food fresh to carrying groceries home, we can all agree that plastic bags help make our lives more convenient. However, once recycled, plastic wraps and bags can be turned into plastic lumber. These plastic lumbers can be further created into fences, park benches, and backyard decks.
3. Sustainable Activewear & Cool Apparel
What’s more, plastic bottles can also be recycled into various types of clothing such as fleece jackets and sweaters. Also, it takes only about ten plastic bottles to make enough plastic fibers for a cool new T-shirt.
4. Car Batteries & Reusable Shopping Bags
Plastic caps on soda and juice bottles help keep the beverages clean, and dirt-free. However, what makes them special is that they are recyclable. So the next time you toss a soda bottle in the recycling bin, put the cap back on.
What can they be converted to? Plastic bottle caps can be recycled into various interesting products such as garden rakes, car batteries, brooms, storage containers, reusable shopping bags, yarns, and ropes.
5. Picture Frames & Backpacks
Did you know practical bags are created from rPET bottles (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate)? It is the material you get after recycling old plastic water bottles into a plastic fiber. It usually takes up to 10 rPET bottles to create a trendy backpack.
What’s more, plastic foam packaging that is used to cushion TV sets and protect video game consoles can be used to make picture frames, specific types of insulation, and various building products for your home.
In conclusion, plastics have become an important part of our society. Once they are properly disposed of and recycled, they have the potential to make our lives more convenient.