Plastic Stakeholders
Recycling Materials
True or False
All About plastics
Lets Get Random
100
What are the two largest plastic manufacturers in the world?
China (32%) and the USA (19%).
100
Which of the recycling materials (plastic, paper, glass, metal, demolition material, chemicals, electronics, rubber, aluminum, wool/fabric) was the first to be recycled in a factory in the USA?
Wool or Fabrics.
The Rittenhouse Mill used old fabric, cloth, cotton, and linen to make recycled paper for printing and publication.
100
America has the most effective and cost efficient recycling system in place. (T or F)
False. The cost and effort required to recycle goods has become so intensive that many cities and municipalities have stopped their recycling programs all together.
100
How many years does it take for plastics to degrade?
More than 400 years.
100
Which city in the USA has kept it's curbside recycling system but takes the materials straight to the dump rather than a recycling center?
Memphis Tennessee
200
When was the Chinese "Green Fence Initiative" started?
2013.
200
Which of the materials listed (rubber, metal, plastic, paper, glass, demolition material, wool/fabric, aluminum, chemicals, electronics) are the newest to the recycling industry?
Electronics.
200
The Life Cycle Assessment is designed to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, which is from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, and use. (T or F)
True.
200
What percentage of all plastic produced has been recycled?
Only 9%. The vast majority—79%—is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter.
200
What was the term the New York Times published in 1955 that encouraged people to buy single-use items for convenience? (hint - 3 words)
"Throw Away Living"
300
A Government official once said: "And there’s no reason to try to spend federal tax dollars to try to prop up plastic recycling when it really hasn’t worked for the last 30 years anyway.”
What government organization was she a part of?
The EPA.
300
Which is the hardest material to recycle? (rubber, metal, plastic, paper, glass, demolition material, wool/fabric, aluminum, chemicals, electronics)
Plastics! Because plastics can be made in a variety of ways, their chemical composition makes each one require different types of recycling methods. Some of the higher numbered recyclables like #5-7 are rigid plastics with means they are very difficult to recycle.
300
Cradle to grave refers to an approach to environmental management that aims to create production techniques that are not only efficient but also waste free.
False.
Cradle to grave seeks to minimize the environmental impact of a product or service over its entire life cycle
Cradle to cradle aims to create production techniques that are not only efficient but also waste free.
300
What are the 3 ways we talked about recycling plastics?
Mechanical, Energy, and Chemical recycling.
300
How many stages are in the Life Cycle Assessment?
4.
1. Goal & Scope
2. Inventory analysis
3.impact assessment
4. Interpretation.
400
In general, globally, do citizens think that recycling is important?
Yes.
400
Metal recycling became most popular during what?
War. Wartime efforts helped to increase the popularity of metal recycling to make more bullets, guns, and weapons.
400
Recycling (in general) for all products increases energy consumption and water usage. (T or F)
False!
Contrary to the “Great Recycling Myth”, recycling for all products reduces energy consumption and water usage! On average, making products from recycled materials uses 50% less energy than making them from new materials.
400
Making new products with recycled plastics requires what percentage less energy than using raw plastic materials?
66%.
400
The first plastic produced was in 1869. What was it used for?
Photo film.
500
Name 3 of the large companies we listed involved with plastic manufacturing and consumption.
Will accept any of these:
Coca-Cola, Pepsi, nestle, Unilever, Exxon, or Colgate-Palmolive.
500
Which of the recyclable materials (rubber, metal, plastic, paper, glass, demolition material, wool/fabric, aluminum, chemicals, electronics) are the most dangerous to recycle?
Chemicals. “Chemical recycling” facilities’ hazardous waste includes toxic substances, many of which are carcinogens and/or neurotoxicants.
500
Mitigation is the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something, not fixing the issue or broken system itself. (T or F)
True!
500
Which is the most complex method of plastic recycling? (Of the three we talked about).
Chemical Recycling- the most complex process because the chemical structure is altered to create a new product. This process requires a lot of plastic and is expensive. Also, it is not currently in a position to be used in the real-world, only in lab settings.
500
in 1970 the Container Corporation of America held a competition to what?
create a new logo/symbol for recycled paper. This is how the iconic triangle logo was created.
