Recycling Plastics Webquest
Introduction
How many times each day do you use something made out of plastic? From a toothbrush to a
soda pop bottle, from a grocery bag to a garden hose, 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 ancronym made
up of several capital letters. The numbers or 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 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 the Webquest is to learn about the different types of plastics and how they can be
recycled. You will explore the history of plastics and find out what properties make a
material a plastic. You will identify the seven different classes of plastics, and discover what
each class is normally used for. You will also learn what kinds of items can be made from
recycled plastics. Finally, you will fill out a table that lists all of the information you have
learned about recycling plastics.
Resources or URL’s for your research:
1. To find information on recycling codes: http://naturalsociety.com/recycling-symbols-numbersplastic-bottles-meaning/
2. History of plastics: http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/conflicts-inchemistry/the-case-of-plastics/all-history-of-plastics.aspx
3. http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/cgibin/splitwindow.cgi?top=http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/top2.html&link=http:
//www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8817.html
4. Cleaning Up the Waste Stream – Recycling Plastics.
5. Hands On Plastics: Background Information for Students.
6. http://plasticisrubbish.com/2012/06/19/some-common-synthetic-polymers/
Conclusion
In the process of completing this webquest, you’ve become informed about what plastics
are, what type of plastics exist, and how each of these can be recycled. You have learned a
little about the history of plastics, and about the chemistry behind the plastics that you use
every day. Finally, you have completed a table that lists each type of plastic, what each is
normally used for, and what items each type of plastic can be recycled into. How does
recycling plastics compare to recycling of materials such as glass, paper and aluminum?