Plastic materials and products

Plastic materials and products play an important part in cutting-edge technologies used in the space program, in bulletproof vests and prosthetic limbs, as well as in a myriad of everyday products. Check out the resources below to learn about the many uses of plastic materials, how they are made, and basic information on plastics and the environment. The Basics - Polymer Definition & Properties

Plastics are polymers. What is a polymer? The most simple definition of a polymer is something made of many units. Think of a polymer as a chain. Each link of the chain is the "-mer" or basic unit that is usually made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and/or silicon.

The Life Cycle of a Plastic Product

This tour is designed to lend a better understanding concerning how plastics are made, the different types of plastics, and their numerous properties and applications.
Uses of Plastics

Whether you are aware of it or not, plastics play an important part in your life. Plastics' versatility allow it to be used in everything from car parts to doll parts, from soft drink bottles to the refrigerators they are stored in. From the car you drive to work in to the television you watch when you get home, plastics help make your life easier and better.
How Is Plastic Made?

The term "plastics" encompasses organic materials, such as the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), chlorine (Cl) and sulfur (S), which have properties similar to those naturally grown in organic materials such as wood, horn and rosin.
Facts about Plastic

Plastics help us with our everyday lives. Find out what else plastics help do.
Plastic Recycling Codes

Have you ever wondered about those numbers on the bottom of your plastic soda bottle? These little numbers with the arrows around them let you know what type of plastic is used to manufacture those soda bottles
 
Disposal is the final stage in a product's life cycle, and the beginning of the waste management process. Despite the fact that plastics are used in everything from medical products to beverage containers, plastics constitute a mere 9.4% by weight of all waste generated in the United States. There are only two options when a consumer disposes of a plastic product: 1) proper plastic disposal that results in it being placed in a landfill or 2) improper disposal, otherwise known as littering. Information on Disposal

Waste disposal is the culmination of all previous efforts including source reduction, storage, treatment, recovery and recycling.
Proper Disposal: Landfills

While the total number of landfills is decreasing (due to better resource conservation, resource efficiency and recycling strategies, total landfill capacity is actually steadily increasing.
Improper Disposal: Litter

Littering, illegal dumping, broken windows and graffiti all add up to burdensome issues which can negatively effect economic or social development within a given area.

Where it Goes When You Dispose

During this tour, you will have the opportunity to visit five solid waste management facilities: a transfer station, a household hazardous waste facilitiy, an energy recovery or combustion facility, a recycling center and a landfill.