Is It A Plastics Problem or A Recycling Problem?

Aug - 09
2019
molded plastic pallets

Is It A Plastics Problem or A Recycling Problem?

There are too many plastics everywhere in the world. Like Norway and northern Russia, some sea areas have even become the sea of plastic waste. It’s been calculated that plastic waste in the Arctic Ocean, has grown almost by 20 times in just 10 years. In one area, the amount of waste has been from, 346 pieces per square kilometer, to 6,333 pieces per square kilometer in 10 years.

plastic in the ocean

Having only been in the plastics industry for 4 short years, I have conflicting feelings on the use of plastics. Of course, I want to save the environment — who doesn’t? I hear all the anti-plastic media hype with pictures of sea turtles that are trapped in the beer can holders. I see the pictures of plastic waste in the ocean and it breaks my heart, and it should. But, what I don’t hear about is how much plastic has changed our lives for the better.

Let’s paint a picture. Imagine you are going in for surgery tomorrow and you need to have an IV put in, guess what that tubing is made of? Yes, you guessed it, plastic, or silicone of some type. I admit. I don’t know all the right terms. You need a knee replacement or a hip replacement. Guess what those “parts” are made of … plastic!

My friend had heart surgery. I have a photo of her after surgery with tubes sticking out of her all over, all of which are made of some type of plastic. If the plastics industry started posting those types of images all over the internet to tear at the heartstrings of human nature, how do you think people would feel about plastics then? Would plastic still have this stigma that it does now?

We keep hearing in the media that plastic bags are bad. Plastic straws are bad. Any kind of single-use plastics is bad for the environment. But is cutting down trees to make paper bags and paper straws good for the environment?

I imagine that there are some chemicals that aren’t good for the environment used in this process, as well. And what about those reusable bags the grocery stores are always pushing us to buy in order to be more environmentally friendly. I wonder, do people realize that in the material content of those reusable bags is, you guessed it, plastic! It’s kind of hypocritical if you think about it. But most people use those reusable bags just one time, then also throw them away. Those reusable bags should be used to produce the environment. However, they also increase pollution.

I found out shortly after starting to work in the plastics industry that single-use plastic bags are, in fact, recyclable. Many people don’t know that. They may not break down quickly in our landfills, but they can be recycled. I never paid much attention, but our local grocery stores have bins for you to dispose of your single-use plastic bags so they can be recycled. Does anyone utilize this?

It is my opinion that if you make it easier for people to recycle, they will do it. If it isn’t simple, they won’t.

waste sorting

Where I live, we have single-stream recycling. It’s easy; I don’t have to separate anything. I can put glass, paper, plastic or cardboard all in one bin and the recycling company comes every other week to pick it up. I recycle because it’s easy for me and doesn’t cause me any extra effort to throw it in the recycling bin vs. the trash bin.

However, I have visited different parts of the country and I am shocked to hear that they don’t recycle at all. They don’t recycle because it’s not easy for them. They would have to separate everything and physically bring it to the recycling center, which isn’t on their way anywhere. So, they just throw it all away. This boggles my mind. Recycling is just a normal thing in Germany and Japan.

Recycling needs to become more standardized. For instance, if single-stream recycling, was implemented across all of the United States, maybe consumers would be more inclined to choose the recycling bin over the trash bin, or worse; litter. Especially now that we can see firsthand how improper disposal of plastics is damaging our planet. If we all did our part to recycle regularly, would plastics be so bad?

PalletMach devotes ourselves to recycle plastics

Plastics are very important for our human beings. But how to deal with plastic waste is also vital.

molded plastic pallets

Our advantages

  1. Advanced technology

We update the traditional pallet making machine and independently produce the plastic pallet machine. This plastic pallet production line adopts new technology to reduce the cost of raw materials.

  1. Environmental protection

Plastic pallet machine is the ideal machine to recycle waste plastic. And molded plastic pallet machine is changing the waste plastic into the new plastic pallet, so it helps to protect the environment.

  1. High degree of automation

There is no manual operation in the process, which realizes the automatic control with long-term, stable, and effective. It also makes plastic pallet making process more stable, and realizes fine work of production.

  1. Low production cost

The price of the raw materials is less than 50%, so the production cost is also lower than 50%. In addition, the technology process of plastic pallet making line is easier, and easy to operate.

  1. Good final pallet

The quality of final plastic pallets is as good as the traditional ones. Plastic pallet moisture, no mold, no worms, no decay, corrosion resistance. Plastic pallet is easy to clean, hygienic and durable, and meets the requirements of health testing. Meanwhile, the final pallets are one-piece design, which is saving space 60% than the traditional ones.

If you want to get more information, please contact us.

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