Recycling Plastics:

Recycling Plastics: WebQuest

Developed by Stephen L. Cotton
Chemistry - Charles Page High School
Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction:

How many times each day do you use something made of plastic? From a toothbrush to a soda pop bottle, from a grocery bag to a garden home, plastics are part of our daily lives. You probably know that plastics are made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. When plastics are thrown away, they become part of the solid wastes that end up in sanitary landfills. Today, many solid wastes, including glass, paper, and aluminum, are being recycled rather than thrown away. Some communities are choosing to recycle plastics as well. However, recycling plastics is a bit more complicated than recycling glass, paper or aluminum.

There are many different types of plastics, and each type requires different handling in the recycling process. The next time you pick up a milk jug or 2-liter plastic soft drink bottle, look at the bottom. Do you see a triangle made out of three arrows? This symbol means that the plastic can be recycled. Inside the triangle, you will see a number or perhaps an acronym made up of several capital letters. The numbers and acronyms are part of a coding system that identifies what type of plastic the item is made out of, and how it should be handled in the recycling process.

What exactly is a plastic?

What are the different kinds of plastics?

What is each type of plastic used for?

How can each type of plastic be recycled?

These are some of the questions you will be able to answer when you have completed this WebQuest on recycling plastics.

Task:

Your job in this WebQuest is to:

a) Learn about the different types of plastics, and how they can be recycled.

b) Explore the history of plastics and find out what properties make a material a plastic.

c) Research what kinds of items can be made from recycled plastics.

Process:

After completion of this activity, the student will be able to:

a) Identify the seven different classes of plastics, and tell what each class is normally for.

b) Fill out a table that lists all the information you have learned about recycling plastics.

c) Write an essay comparing the recycling of plastics to other materials such as glass, paper, and aluminum.

Look at the web sites given here to find the information that will enable you to complete the table on recycling plastics.

	Hands On Plastics: Background Information for Students. http://www.teachingplastics.org/hands_on_plastics/intro_to_plastics/students.html Visit this site by the American Plastics Council to learn about the history of plastics and polymers and about the chemistry of the polymers that make up plastics. This is an excellent site to begin your exploration of plastics.
	Cleaning Up the Waste Stream - Recycling Plastics. http://www.ci.redding.ca.us/solwaste/r_plastics.htm Visit this site for a brief discussion of the difficulties inherent in recycling plastics. Scroll down to see a chart of the plastic container code system and a description of each type of plastic that can be recycled.
	Recycling Plastics is as easy as ...1, 2, 3, (4, 5, 6, 7)! http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dshm/redrecy/plastic.htm Go to this New York State Department of Environmental Conservation site to see another list of the codes used to identify types of plastic for recycling. The site also describes two methods by which plastic containers are made: blow-molding and injection-molding.
	Recycling Plastics. http://www.mines.edu/Stu_life/organ/earth/recyinfofl.html At this Colorado School of Mines site you can read a brief discussion of how plastics are made, and about the chemistry of plastics. You can also read about the benefits of using plastic packaging here.
	History of Plastics. http://www.americanplasticscouncil.org/benefits/about_plastics/history.html Visit this site to learn more about the history of the plastics industry. The site discusses the inventions of materials such as celluloid, Bakelite, rayon, cellophane, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, saran, Teflon, and polyethylene, and their timeline of development.

Evaluation:

1. Now that you have completed your Internet research on recycling plastics, prepare a table that lists all seven types of plastics. In the left column, write in the code for each of the seven plastics. At the top of the rows, write in the material that each code stands for, the abbreviation used for that type of plastic, and then the items the plastic is normally used to make. In the last row, write in what the plastic can be recycled to make. The table is started for you below. You will receive extra points for listing more than one item under "How Normally Used" and 'Can Be Recycled As', up to a total of six items under each heading.

Code	Material and Abbreviation	How Normally Used	Can Be Recycled As
1	Polyethylene terephthalate PET, PETE	Soft drink bottles, peanut butter jars	Rope, pillows
2
3
4
5
6
7

2. Write a short essay comparing the recycling of plastics to other materials such as glass, paper, and aluminum.

Conclusion:

In the process of completing this WebQuest, you have researched:

a) What plastics are

b) What types of plastics exist

c) How each of these can be recycled

You have learned about:

d) The history of plastics

e) The chemistry behind the plastics that we use everyday

Finally, you have completed a table that lists:

f) Each of the seven types of plastics

g) What each is normally used for

h) What items each type of plastic can be recycled into

Waste reduction, or "pre-cycling" is an effort to prevent waste before it is created. We can help reduce by making careful choices about what we buy, use, and throw away. The following are some pre-cycling tips:

Look for items with less packaging or items packaged in recyclable materials. Choose durable, rather than disposal, products.

Teachers: Once students have completed the table, you may wish to use the rubric below for scoring:

Scoring Table - Recycling Plastics

Table Presentation Rubric	Possible Points	Self-Assessment	Teacher Assessment
Material listed for each code number	7
Abbreviations listed for 6 code numbers	6
At least one item listed for each code under how normally used	6
At least one item listed for each code under how normally used	6
Add 1 point for each extra item listed under how normally used up to 5	30
Add 1 point for each extra item listed under can be recycled as up to 5	30
Total Possible Points	85