Plastic waste is a massive threat to the environment, and by disposing of them anywhere, we are exposing our planet to the worst conditions. Many countries are working on “ban plastic” campaigns to spread awareness for a better future. We often neglect the side effects of plastic, but now brands are taking the initiative by coming up with recyclable plastic. Due to excessive plastic use, we have made this planet highly dangerous for other creatures, but it’s time to contribute to making it healthy again.
To understand plastic deeply, we are here with this comprehensive guide. Today we are discussing non-recyclable plastics so you can contribute to reducing plastic from our mother Earth. It’s time to work on things that require our attention because this is the only way to make our planet healthy for generations.
Which plastic Cannot Be Recycled – Non Recyclable plastics
Bio Plastics cannot be Recycled
Bioplastics are one of the most commonly used plastics that can’t recycle. Bioplastics are not disposable and can be used several times. It can reduce waste to some extent, and its manufacturing capacity may get boosted up to 15% by 2024 due to excessive usage. Compared to ordinary plastic, bio-plastic products are expensive due to high-quality manufacturing. If you put this plastic into a recycling stream, it’s powerful enough to pollute all. It also falls in the non-recyclable plastics category that is harmful to human health and not safe to inhale.
It’s not completely eco-friendly but can get disposed of through an industrial system. For recycling bioplastic, it’s essential to work through separate machines, and they still take 3-6 months to recycle. Also, this type of plastic gets dissolved in water without threatening the life of any sea creature. This plastic is not completely safe to use and dump, but compared to traditional plastic, it takes less time to decompose. Bio-plastic is not 100% sustainable, but it can help reduce the massive plastic waste ratio.
Composite Plastic cannot be Recycled
Composite plastic is reinforced by glass, carbon, and aramid materials. This plastic is the result of man engineering and improves the strength of products for better reliability. Composite plastic may seem delicate, but it’s as strong as steel. This plastic gets used commonly in aerospace applications, tools, and machinery that require high durability. Also, this plastic is expensive to manufacture because of its expensive raw material. Due to the combination of different physical and chemical properties, this plastic can’t change its form.
Composite plastic is one of the non-recyclable plastics due to a mixture of several elements. Also, it can only recycle after processing them at 200C for recovering fibers. This plastic pollutes the sea and rivers by hurting fish. As this plastic is made of raw material and resins obtained from oil, all these elements make composite plastic an unsustainable option for the environment. By reducing the usage of such products, we can seize the environmental pollution in the best possible way.
Plastic-coated wrapping paper plastic cannot be Recycled
As the holiday season approaches, we use all kinds of gift wrapping paper to make our presents look beautiful. Some of us use plastic-coated wrapping paper, which is non-recyclable and negatively impacts the environment. Gift papers layered with foil, decorations, and plastic layers are hard to recycle. The plastic-coated wrapping paper is laminated, which makes the paper glossy but non-recyclable at the same time.
Most of us enjoy the glossy appearance as it looks beautiful and gives a fancy look to a present. If you have no idea what wrapping paper you use, the test is to rip it apart. If it rips quickly, it means it’s pure paper, or if you feel stretchy, it’s plastic-coated wrapping paper. As long as there is a plastic coating on the paper, recycling is impossible. You can reuse it as it will have excellent reliability, but it’s not environmental-friendly.
Polycarbonate plastic cannot be Recycled
Polycarbonate is one of the strongest plastics used to manufacture several things. It’s a tough and transparent material used to make medical devices, protective gear, automotive parts, digital disks, plastic lenses, and lighting fixtures. This plastic offers excellent protection and has a higher resistance to stiffness. On the one hand, reliability is exceptional, but on the other, it’s not sustainable for the environment. It is non-recyclable plastics resistant to extreme weather conditions, scratches, and other environmental impacts.
Due to its solid structure, this polycarbonate plastic’s manufacturing process is heavy, making it harmful to the planet. You can’t recycle this plastic, and throwing it anywhere can harm other living beings. As this plastic is highly processed and used in manufacturing several essential machines, cutting it out of the planet is impossible. Throwing it away is not a good idea when you don’t want any living being to get hurt. This plastic is also one of the most difficult plastics to recycle.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic cannot be Recycled
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a common type of plastic that is hard to recycle. The majority of pipes in our homes or offices are made of PVC. They last for several decades and perform well, but when it comes to being environmentally friendly, they can’t help us. This plastic is also used to manufacture medical devices, wires, and cables. PVC’s production, disposal, and industrial waste are the most harmful.
It’s one of the non-recyclable plastics that release toxins after disposal and is responsible for killing other living beings on this planet. Also, it harms not only other creatures but also human beings. With every passing day, these pipes release toxins into the air and work like poison to our environment. Also, even in industries, melting PVC can slow down your immune and reproductive systems and even cause cancer. It may shock you, but PVC takes 450 years to dispose of, which means 5 generations.
Read: Which Plastic Is Safe For Food Storage
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) plastic cannot be Recycled
LDPE plastic, also known as Low-Density Polyethylene, falls among the non-recyclable plastics category. This plastic is made of soft, flexible, and lightweight material often used to prepare wash bottles, tubes, plastic bags, computer parts, and many others. Several countries have banned plastic bags because it’s the most common form of pollution.
Recycling this material is a hectic process because of its softness and lightweight. Low-density polyethylene is non-efficient material financially because if some industry wants to recycle it for another purpose, it requires a long time. They must have to go through a cleaning and softening process before producing anything out of it. Also, they are resistant to extreme temperatures and can last for 500-1000 years before decomposing. Plastic bags and bottles made of this material are causing pollution in the sea as it has low water absorption.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What type of plastic is not recyclable?
Plastic is harmful to this planet, and when it comes to disposing of it, very few fall in this category. Most plastics, such as polycarbonate, bioplastic, and gift wrapping paper, are not recyclable. Due to high processing and solid plastic raw material, recycling is not possible.
Can all 7 types of plastic be recycled?
Every type has different properties, depending on what you are using. Some of the non-recyclable plastics require high temperatures to take another shape. Not all 7 types can get recycled completely, but we can somehow use them for manufacturing other stuff. Also, plastic is not dissolvable in water, so it’s impossible to dump it anywhere for other living beings.
What are 3 things that cannot be recycled?
Non-recyclable things are made not only of pure plastic but are also manufactured with a combination of other materials. Such as Plastic mixed with aluminum is hard to recycle because of the different elements involved in it. Three things that can’t get recycled are plastic wraps, gift wrapping paper, and composite plastic.
Why are some types of plastic not recyclable?
Each plastic has different properties, and factories that accept plastic to recycle can only accept the ones with compatible properties. Some plastic products are hard to melt because they require a high melting point and a different industrial setup. Due to different resin combinations, not every plastic is useful, and most produce pollution.
Final Thoughts
We can reduce plastic waste from this planet by coming up with better waste management solutions. It’s high time to stop using products made from non-recyclable plastics as they are harmful to us and sea creatures.
Many people believe that most plastic is recyclable, which is a myth. If you are here, reading this till now, you must have learned beneficial stuff about plastic. We all have to make conscious decisions before using any product made of material that requires 400 years to get disposed of completely.
Almost everything we use these days is wrapped in plastic, and without giving it a thought, we dump plastic anywhere. Every day, our land is filled with tons of plastic with no sources of decomposing. By stop using non-recyclable plastics, we can reduce tons of plastic waste in a year from Earth.