P l a s t i c... F a n t a s t i c...

Plastics are an integral part of our lives. From the brush for our teeth in the morning to the pillow under our heads at night, plastics serve us in various
ways, keeping us healthy, comfortable, safe, providing a vehicle for economic activity for our prosperity and wonderful toys for our leisure time and a
whole lot more...

Plastics Provide Variety: Plastics provide us with a variety of products that are aesthetically appealing with so many shapes, designs and colors and
very versatile in their use. Did you know that a plastic bag can carry up to 40 times or more of its own weight! They are also highly reusable; 92% of
people reuse the bags as trashcan liners making it the first recycling activity in our daily life.

Plastic Save Lives: Disposable syringes to pace-makers to medicine dispensers, plastics play an important role in our health care.

Plastics Improve Safety: Millions of kids every year are injured from sports activities, like riding a bike. Plastic protective sporting gear has helped
reduce 40% sports injury-related deaths among children in the United States. Innovations in plastics have made safety gear very attractive and at the
same time lighter and stronger to protect our kids. For example, plastic helmets, goggles, gloves and knee and wrist pads.

Plastics Assist in Keeping a Cleaner Environment: According to studies, the manufacture of plastic bags uses up to 40% less energy than the
manufacture of paper bags. The manufacturing of plastic bags causes 94% less water pollution and 70% less air pollution compared to manufacturing
paper bags*. For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper bags, only one truck is needed for the same number of plastic bags, helping to save energy
and reduce emissions to the environment.

Plastics Bring us Prosperity: Replacing conventional materials with plastics from computers to cars has helped industry lower production costs. Fuel
consumption is reduced as cars and planes become lighter due to the lightweight of plastics. Plastics offer new job opportunities, new inventions and new
applications. Today as the cost of metals and wood has soared, the plastics are providing very creative alternative solutions that meet the challenges and
demands of the world's unprecedented development and growth.

Plastics are Fun: Look at the variety of toys. Your imagination is the limitation. Which is your favorite toy? How much plastic is in it? You just remember
that not too long ago your grandparents did not have the luxury to play with plastic toys. Plastics serve you like a genie providing innumerable amenities.
The most important quality of plastics is that either they can be recycled or used as energy source.

Teaching Our Families Responsible Plastic Awareness By Melissa J Wantuck

Protecting our world for today and for our children is a concern many parents often ponder as they go
about their everyday lives consuming products. Above that, there’s concern about the risk of what
impact products we use may have on our family’s health, not just the environment. A product that has
recently made headlines for posing a health hazard is plastic.

Plastic is a synthetic product created from materials that have been brought together through a
chemical reaction. There are a lot of technical terms that go into creating plastic so to avoid a
chemistry lesson we’re using a layman’s description. Plastic is not a natural element, like oxygen or
carbon.

A benefit of plastic is its usability. It can be formed into various products from containers to flexible
sheets. Plastic has millions of uses and the cost of manufacturing it is inexpensive so its use has
become commonplace in all aspects of our lives from building materials, healthcare products, food
storage, and vehicle parts, to name a few.

Along with its innumerable uses, concerns about plastic have risen. Two facts about plastic have
resulted in a second glance review of plastic. First, as mentioned before, plastic is created through a
chemical reaction. That means chemicals are used in the creation process. Second, also mentioned, plastic is not a natural element. Both of these facts result in concerns
whether the chemicals in plastic are harmful to us physically and what are the effects on the environment when we dispose of plastic?

To address these two concerns, government regulations have been passed and thousands of studies have been conducted to assess how plastic affects people and the
environment. Nationwide recycling plans offer solutions to reuse most of the plastic products after we’re done with them.

Take into consideration the effort made by plastics companies through the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988 to identify the type of plastics used in their products. This
identification system is called the resin identification coding system, and although plastics companies participate voluntarily, more and more are marking the resin ID code on
their products as various state governments have begun to pass laws for its use. The resin ID code is a three-arrow triangle synonymous with the recycling symbol with a
number in the middle. Numbers are from 1 to 7 and they identify the type of materials used in making the plastic container. Here is a chart provided by the American
Chemistry Council that lists each resin ID code, the primary resin material in the plastic, how it is used and what it is most often recycled into.

One particular material used in making plastic that has been making headlines for posing a health danger to us is bisphenol A (BPA). According to a Washington Post article
published April 27, 2008, “Studies on Chemical in Plastics Questioned,” the danger of BPA is real to our health and has been proven by the scientific community but is being
ignored.

Contrary to what is reported in the Washington Post, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced in their 2006 risk assessment BPA does not provide a severe
health hazard to humans and raised their Tolerable Daily Intake of BPA higher than the U.S.’s standard. With the release of the Washington Post’s article, the EFSA is
considering re-evaluating their risk assessment.

The fact of the matter, and this is seconded by the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) in their article “Why Journalism Is Failing the Public on the Risk of Plastics”
published May 6, 2008, there isn’t enough scientific proof to definitely say BPA is or isn’t a danger to us. Studies continue and the EFSA considering a re-review is testament to
the effort by governments and the science community’s dedication to guaranteeing safe products.

Given the relative uncertainty that persists regarding the effect of plastic, what can parents do to address the issue with their families? The decision is entirely a personal one
but the best way to make that decision is to be as informed as possible.

Take into consideration the information that has been presented, and use the Resin ID Code as a guide for any plastics your family regularly uses. Reportedly BPA is present in
plastics that have a resin ID code of 3 or 7. To recycle the plastics your family uses, contact your local waste removal agency to learn more about their recycling policies and
procedures.

If you want to distance yourself from plastic as much as possible, use containers made from natural materials such as glass, ceramic, and stoneware for food and beverage
storage, switch to paper grocery bags or reusable shopping bags. These are a few ideas. The most important thing to do is stay informed.

Here are some additional websites to learn more about plastics:

 www.epa.gov
www.fda.gov
www.factsonplastics.com
www.plasticsmythbuster.org

Plastics Recycling in 4 Simple Steps

Stop! Before you throw away that empty plastic bottle, think about recycling it.
When it comes to embracing environmentally friendly technologies, recycling may not be as exciting as solar
panels or hybrid cars, but it’s one area where consumers can make a huge difference.
Since the early days of recycling back in the 1970s, the nation’s recycling infrastructure has grown
considerably. Surveys suggest that, today, approximately 80 percent of Americans have access to a local
recycling program1, be it residential curbside collection or a community drop-off center.
Through these programs, specific types of post-consumer plastics are collected, processed for recycling, and
used to create an array of second-generation products – everything from fleece jackets and bottles for
beverages and detergents to carpeting and even high-end composite lumber for outdoor decking2.
Message in a Bottle
Take bottles. The number of bottles collected in the United States has increased every year since plastic bottle
recycling was first calculated in 1990. In 2005, that number jumped to over 2.1 billion pounds of post-
consumer plastic bottles, and the overall plastic bottle recycling rate climbed to 24.3 percent. While this is all
good news, it’s clear that there’s a tremendous opportunity to recycle even more – namely, the remaining
75.7 percent of plastic bottles used in this country annually.
Consider this: In most areas, the demand for recycled plastics exceeds (sometimes far exceeds) the available
supply. The message to consumers, especially those of us with access to community recycling, is that we can
all work a little harder to make sure that our bottles and other recyclable plastics make it into the recycling bin
when we’re finished using them.
The following tips can help make it easier to maximize the plastics you recycle:

1. Learn what items and materials are accepted for recycling in your community.

On the one hand, all major types of plastics (#1 through #7) are recyclable, meaning that technologies to recycle these materials have been developed and are in use
in some areas. Community recycling programs often collect plastic bottles made from PET (#1) and HDPE (#2), which, together represent approximately 96 percent of
all plastic bottles produced in the United States. Although a growing number of communities have started to collect other types of plastic containers, such as tubs,
trays, lids, buckets and so on, opportunities to recycle plastics vary widely. The only way to know what materials are accepted in your area is to check with your local
recycling or solid waste facility.

How to check: One way to get started is to search the Web. Using your favorite search engine, enter the name of your municipality (usually a county, city or
township) and the word “recycling.” Many municipalities list the types of materials they do and don’t accept on their websites, and some provide the names of
locations of where residents can drop off specific items for reuse or recycling. Even if this information isn’t available on your municipality’s website, you should be able
to locate a phone number so you can call and ask.

2. Recycle often and recycle right.

In other words, once you know the rules, follow them. There are two keys to making any recycling system functionally and economically viable: (1) a continuous and
dependable supply of incoming material, and (2) the ability to control the quality of the materials being recycled. Consumers are absolutely essential to making both
parts work.

In addition to making sure that plastic recyclables end up in the recycling bin, consumers can help keep out potential contaminants. Mixing the wrong types of
materials (even other types of plastics) with recyclable plastics can lower the quality of recycled material. This is why it’s so important to learn which types of plastics
are – and are not – recycled in your area, and to sort things accordingly.

3. Deposit bottles in the bin – not the trash.

A “bottle” is a container that has a neck or an opening that is smaller than the base3. Plastic bottles are among the most readily recycled plastics, but there’s still a lot
we can do to recycle more of them. Here’s the problem: Lightweight, shatterproof plastic beverage bottles are ideal to take on the go – to work, to school, to the
gym, on errands, and just about anywhere. But because more beverages are being consumed away from home, a smaller percentage of empty beverage bottles are
making it into our recycling bins.

One remedy: Place the cap back on and temporarily store the empty bottle in your briefcase or backpack or simply leave it in your car until you get home. This will
prevent any residual liquid from leaking out until you can properly recycle the bottle.

Below is a list of suggested “dos and don’ts” to help you maximize the bottles you recycle while avoiding mistakes that can contaminate the material collected.

The Dos and Don’ts of Recycling Plastic Bottles

Dos Don'ts

Milk jugs X NO automotive, pesticide or solvent bottles


X NO lids or spray pumps
 Soda, water, juice and beer bottles
X NO trays, tubs or containers without necks
Shampoo and laundry detergent and cleaning product
 bottles
X NO toys
X NO plastic bags or film plastics
Salad dressing, cooking oil and condiment bottles

Foodjars

 Empty, rinse and crush

 Labels are generally okay

Note: Information above is based on a typical “All Plastic Bottles” collection program, a recycling initiative that is currently practiced in nearly 2,100 communities
nationwide. However, plastics recycling is not available in all areas, so check to see what plastics are recycled in your community.
4. Bring bags back.

Most community recycling initiatives don’t accept plastic retail bags in curbside collection programs because they tend to get tangled in processing equipment or
become heavily contaminated with residual liquids during the collection process. However, plastic bags are very recyclable, and many local and national retailers now
offer drop-off programs that allow consumers to return their used bags to be recycled. Participating retailers typically place bag collection areas at the store entrance
or near checkout areas. Check with your local grocers and other retailers to see whether they take back plastic bags for recycling.

Below is a list of suggested “dos and don’ts” to help you maximize the bags you recycle while avoiding mistakes that can contaminate the reprocessed material.

The Dos and Don’ts of Recycling Plastic Bags

Dos Don'ts

 Grocery bags X NO food wrap

X NO bags that have direct contact with food, other
 Retail bags (remove hard plastic or string handles) organic materials, or salt
X NO film that has been painted or glued
 Plastic newspaper bags
X DO NOT include other types of bags
 Dry Cleaning bags (remove paper and metal hangers)

 Mattress bags

 All clean, bags labeled with a #2 (HDPE) or #4 (LLDPE)

 Make sure bags are clean and dry

 Remember to remove receipts

 Store plastic bags safely away from small children

Did You Know?

• Recycling a ton of plastic bottles can save about 3.8 barrels of oil.
• It takes one quarter pound of plastic to deliver one gallon of soda.
• It takes about fourteen 20-ounce beverage bottles to make an extra large T-Shirt.
• One Adirondack chair can be made from approximately 240 recycled milk jugs.

1
Recycling facilities may not be available in all areas. Check to see if recycling facilities exist in your area.
2
Recycling rates and content may vary by product.
3
For recycling purposes, jars are considered bottles and are accepted in recycling programs that collect plastic bottles. Although a
jar’s neck is typically shorter than a bottle’s, both jars and bottles have openings that are smaller than the base of the container.

The SPI Resin Identification Code

The SPI introduced its resin coding system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the country. A growing number of communities were implementing recycling
programs in an effort to decrease the volume of waste subject to rising tipping fees at landfills. In some cases, these programs were driven by state-level recycling
mandates.

The SPI code was developed to meet recyclers' needs while providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system that could apply nationwide. Because municipal
recycling programs traditionally have targeted packaging - primarily containers - the SPI coding system offered a means of identifying the resin content of bottles
and containers commonly found in the residential waste stream.

The overwhelming majority of plastic packaging is made with one of six resins: polyethylene terephthalate (PETE); high density polyethylene (HDPE); polyvinyl
chloride (PVC or vinyl); low density polyethylene (LDPE); polypropylene (PP); or polystyrene (PS). The SPI resin identification code assigns each of these resins a
number from 1 to 6.

The SPI coding system also includes a seventh code, identified as "other." Use of this code indicates that the product in question is made with a resin other than
the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin used in combination. The "other" code was developed to address legislative demands in some states that
all consumer packages fitting certain size and functional parameters feature a resin identification code.