recycling

__// Recycling Water Bottles //__ Sophie B, Molly M, Becky N, Rachel W

  **Why Recycle Plastics? **   <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> Recycling plastic water bottles is important to preserve the environment. Plastic water bottles are made from oil which is a fossil fuel that will run out some day. If these bottles are recycled, it can be reused instead of using new fossil fuels to make more. When water bottles are not recycled, most of them are dumped in landfills and they take up a lot of space because they are bulky. If they are recycled, they can be made into new products, including fleece jackets. ******When recycling bottles you should take the plastic cap off and throw it in the trash and then recycle the bottle.


 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 120%; COLOR: rgb(24,145,220); FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif">What Happens to Recycled Bottles?

**<span style="COLOR: rgb(73,152,233)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(12,207,228); FONT-FAMILY: Georgia,serif"><span style="COLOR: rgb(36,174,235)"><span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255)">  <span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">

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<span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: rgb(112,48,160); LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><span style="BACKGROUND-ATTACHMENT: scroll; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(112,48,160); LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"> First the plastic bottles are recycled to the collection facility, where they are inspected for contaminants such as rock or glass. Then the <span style="BACKGROUND-ATTACHMENT: scroll; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><span style="BACKGROUND: white; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><span style="BACKGROUND-ATTACHMENT: scroll; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">plastic is washed and chopped into flakes. The flakes are then dried and melted into plastic lava, which is filtered for impurities and molded into strands. Then the strands are cooled and chopped into pellets that can be sold to make into new products. <span style="COLOR: rgb(112,48,160)"> =====

<span style="COLOR: rgb(112,48,160)">
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 13pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: rgb(112,48,160); LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><span style="BACKGROUND-ATTACHMENT: scroll; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><span style="BACKGROUND-ATTACHMENT: scroll; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">Another method, which was recently developed is also used in some places. First, the plastic is ground up and the water is removed. Then the plastic is melted and chemically broken down through a process known as depolymerization. This process is a scientific breakthrought because it only takes about five minutes to preduce the recycled material. <span style="COLOR: rgb(112,48,160)">

<span style="COLOR: rgb(73,152,233)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(12,207,228); FONT-FAMILY: Georgia,serif"><span style="COLOR: rgb(36,174,235)"><span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255)">  <span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">

<span style="COLOR: rgb(73,152,233)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(12,207,228); FONT-FAMILY: Georgia,serif"><span style="COLOR: rgb(36,174,235)"><span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255)">   <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif">     <span style="COLOR: rgb(110,200,247)">           <span style="COLOR: rgb(51,23,219); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">  **What gets made from plastic bottles** <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Motor oil bottles <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Detergent bottles <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">      <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬   New trash bags <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬  <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Pallets <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Carpets <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Fiberfill <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Nonfood bottles or containers <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Pipes <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,112,192); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">¬ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Pails <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,176,240); LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Most of these items you can see around the house. Just think when you are sitting on the carpet in your family room, or doing your laundry, or throwing your trash away, all those things could have been made from recycled plastics. When you put a plastic bottle in the trash can just think that the bag you are putting it in used to be plastic bottles. Plastic bottles can be made into a variety of items that people need or use regularly, so just take time and recycle.

<span style="COLOR: rgb(0,122,38)">Advantages and Disadvantages of Recycling ===<span style="COLOR: rgb(56,32,207)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(34,19,205)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(11,10,214)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(25,0,255); LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Recycling bottles, cans, or paper can help the environment greatly. There are many advantages and disadvantages to recycling. Recycling preserves natural resources by reusing them over and over. When people throw objects away, the trash is then burned or buried, which can cause pollution. Recycling can help prevent pollution by decreasing the amount of trash, therefore decreasing the amount of pollution being let out into the air when it is burned or buried. In over 180 management systems, it was proved that recycling was better for the environment in 83% of the systems. The amount of trash in dumps in the world is quickly increasing, calling for a need for recycling. Numerous materials can be recycled, including steel, paper, and plastic. Some recycling managements, although, cost a large amount of money to run: more than the amount of money gained from recycling. Some people also think that recycling companies are somewhat hypocritical because they have to use many trucks to transport the recycled materials, which is using up more energy and polluting the air. Overall, recycling has many more benefits than weaknesses. ===

===<span style="COLOR: rgb(56,32,207)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(34,19,205)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(11,10,214)"><span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(25,0,255); LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">So an overview of the advantages and disadvantages are as follows:   ===
 * = <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> Advantages  ||= <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> Disadvantages   ||
 * = <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> -Can help environment greatly ||= <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> -Some recycling companies are expensive to run  ||
 * = <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> -Preserves natural resources ||= <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> -Hypocritical? The trucks are polluting the air  ||
 * = <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> - <span style="BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">Proved that recycling was better for the environment in 83% of cases  ||= <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)">  ||
 * = <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,41,255)"> -Reduces amount of energy used ||

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'">In 2006, Americans drank about 167 bottles of water each but only recycled an average of 23 percent. That leaves 38 billion water bottles in landfills. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'">It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water. That’s enough oil to fuel __100,000 cars__. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'">Eight out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'">Plastic bottles take 700 years before they //begin// to decompose in a landfill. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'">If everyone in NYC gave up water bottles for one week, they would save 24 million bottles from being landfilled. One month on the same plan would save 112 million bottles, and one year would save 1.328 billion bottles from going into the landfill. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">360 million plastic bottles were recycled in 2002 <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">3% of household plastic bottles are currently recycled <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">9.1 billion plastic bottles were disposed of in 2002 <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">18,000 tonnes of bottles recycled in the UK in 2002 saved approximately 18 million kWh of energy (1 tonne= 20,000 plastic bottles) <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W lightbulb for up to 6 hours <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">330,608 tonnes of plastics packaging waste were recycled in 2002 <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">11% of household waste is plastic, 40% of which if plastic bottles <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">25 recycled PET bottles can be used to make an adult's fleece jacket <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(184,204,228); FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings">Ø <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: rgb(253,252,252) 0% 50%; COLOR: rgb(141,179,226); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">In the United States alone, 230 bottles per person go to landfill per year. That’s enough crushed bottles to fill the Rose Bowl Stadium in California __every two weeks__ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(52,10,158); FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif">.
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; COLOR: rgb(84,141,212); FONT-FAMILY: 'Futura Hv','sans-serif'">Recycling Statistics: **

===<span style="COLOR: rgb(34,19,205)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(11,10,214)"> **// Both these charts show how many bottles are being wasted every year. If people just take a second and think before they throw away their bottles, and think about how they are affecting the world, maybe they would recycle. If one person just takes the time and recycles a plastic bottle, others will follow causing a chain reaction that will help the world. //**

Reusing Water Bottles

Some speculation has been made about how safe it is to reuse water bottles. Some people are simply concerned about bacteria, while others fear that harmful chemicals are seeping into the liquid in the bottles that are being reused. The bottles are not made to be washed, they are designed for single-use according to some people. The truth is, the water bottles were not __designed__ for reuse, but they can be reused. The walls of the container are just thinner than they would be ideally for multiple use. The heat from washing, and the soaps used, could possibly make it more possible for the harmful chemicals to leak out. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the main concerns chemically. It disrupts the body's hormones, and using high temperatures, bleach and other soaps, could increase the chances of the BPA leaking out of the plastic and into whatever you are containing in the bottles.

Plastic water bottles are not anymore likely to host bacteria than any other container. If you clean them properly, they are fine to drink out of, as far as bacteria is concerned. The FDA is required to check all containers holding food, drinks, and medicine. The FDA checks the types of plastic regardless of whether or not people are using them for one use. In other countries, reusable plastic water bottles are made out of the same plastic. The walls of the bottles are just stronger, therefor making it easier to use more than once. Despite what some people think, freezing a water bottle will __not__ release dioxins into the water it is containing.



<span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(235,235,234)"><span style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(254,251,251)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 120%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif">Bibliography:
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