If we want to truly curb the environmental toll of plastics, avoiding polystyrene and stopping its production is a good place to start. This is why a staggering 35% of landfill material in the US is polystyrene-based products. In addition, polystyrene is too toxic to be reused, so it cannot be recycled and given new life. This is the reason why you've probably been advised against reheating food in styrofoam containers in the microwave - the radiation expedites the speed of the styrene leaching. However, polystyrene tends to leach styrene into food products, which is a possible human carcinogen. This plastic is used to make things like styrofoam, seen in packing peanuts and takeout containers. Plastic number 6 should be avoided the most in terms of both recycling and general use. It's best to ask your local pickup company which plastics they take so you don't accidentally add unwanted materials like LDPE to the mix. However, because it's generally viewed as non-recyclable, many recycling pickup services do not include it on their list of acceptable items. When it can be recycled, it's used for applications ranging from plastic lumber to garbage can liners. Plastic number 4 is fairly non-toxic, so it's often used in dry cleaner garment bags, squeeze bottles and bread bags. Luckily, PVC has an amazing tolerance for UV-rays and other weather factors, so it can be used for an extremely long time in applications like piping, garden hoses and window frames. The chemical makeup of PVC makes it extremely difficult to recycle, and as such, many recyclable waste collection services won't take it. Try to stay away from items marked with the number 3, or PVC plastic. This will not only keep you away from harmful carcinogens, it will also reduce the environmental impact of plastic by keeping waste out of landfills. If a plastic cannot be recycled or is dangerous to your health, you should try to avoid it as much as possible. To start, let's take a look at which materials cannot be recycled to begin to understand the environmental toll of these plastics. Second, you can decide whether or not you want to buy the product at all - just because a product is made of plastic doesn't mean it's safe to use for things like eating and drinking.
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First, it tells you whether or not an item can be recycled since some plastics are too volatile to be repurposed. Knowing the type of plastic you're buying is good for a variety of reasons. 7 = Other (acrylic, polycarbonate, nylon, fiberglass, etc.).It's a simple answer: the number represents the kind of plastic an item is made of. However, you might not know what exactly that number means. You may have also noticed that on most plastics, there's a number between 1-7 inside the triangle. We're all familiar with the chasing arrows triangle symbol that represents the recycling process. And it's already printed on just about every plastic item you purchase. Thankfully, there is a simple way to tell whether a plastic is recyclable or not, and also if it's safe to be reused or should be avoided altogether.
![code to clear environment in r code to clear environment in r](https://www.zwodnik.com/media/cache/93/e8/93e8ad475f8bbb933163ed0d9a1866ba.png)
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The plastic waste epidemic is causing major problems around the world, on land and at sea. But the environmental effects of plastics can't be left out of the conversation.
![code to clear environment in r code to clear environment in r](https://swcarpentry.github.io/git-novice/fig/RStudio_screenshot_editfiles.png)
At A&C Plastics, we love talking about all the different ways plastic can help make our lives safer, stronger and more colorful.