www.logan.qld.gov.au Plastic is the name given to a wide range of compounds made from the resources of oil and gas. Oil and gas are formed over many millions of years from rotting organic matter covered in layers of mud being heated and compressed and are therefore non- renewable. Manufacturing Oil, coal and natural gas are combined under special conditions of temperature and pressure to create plastic polymers. Various chemicals can be added, dependent on the type of plastic being created, to give it various properties. Once the plastic is created it is transformed into resin pellets or a powder form. The resin or powder is transported to the manufacturer to be moulded and shaped into its final form. To do this, the pellets or powder are heated and melted down, depending on the type of plastic used and the type of product being made. The plastic is then moulded, using one of three different processes: 1. Injection moulding: used for specifically shaped objects like cups, toys and plumbing fittings. 2. Extrusion moulding: makes plastic sheets, pipe or tube. At the reprocessing plant the plastics are shredded, chopped or ground into small pieces and washed. During the washing process, the various types of shredded plastic will separate according to their densities. This enables further sorting into specific plastic types before the plastics are melted into resin. The resin is stretched into strands and cut into beads or ground into powder. The beads or powder are then melted and moulded back into a recycled product. Refer to the Plastic Identification Chart on this fact sheet to find out what recycled products are made from the various types of plastic. Decomposition Plastic is very long lasting, and this can cause environmental problems. It can take more than 600 years for plastic products to decompose. General plastic recycling – beyond the recycling bin Plastic containers placed in the yellow lidded recycling bin are transported to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting. Here they are removed from the other recyclable materials by hand and sorted into plastic types. Once sorted, the containers are crushed into bales and transported to companies for reprocessing. 3. Blow moulding: for bottles and drums There are about 40 different plastics used today. Each has a different chemical composition, a different strength and durability and is suitable for different uses. Most plastic products and packaging today are stamped with a Plastic Identification Code, a triangle containing a number, at the manufacturing stage, to assist in identifying the different types of plastics we use. Baled Plastic Hand Sorting Plastic Flake New Products Plastic Recycling