1. Plastics by the Numbers
Recycling plastics, types of plastics, and the sorting of plastics

2. One Word: Plastics
What comes to your mind when you hear the word plastic?
How often do you use plastic water or soda bottles?

3. How many types of plastics are there?

4. Plastics by the Numbers
Work in pairs with equipment at work station
SAFETY!
Acetone is FLAMABLE! Keep away
from the hot plate
Wear safety goggles at ALL times
Wear gloves when handling
acetone
Wash hands after handing acetone
Keep distance when boiling water
Don’t drink ANYTHING

5. After the Lab
After you and your partner have completed the last table in the lab:
1. Clean up station
Dispose of plastic and oil in garbage
Dispose of water and acetone in drain
2. Get started on worksheet until all groups are done
(Will be homework if not completed in class)

6. After-Lab Discussion
Which test did most of you decide to do first? Why?
Least amount of steps?
How might the properties of these plastics affect their uses or safety?

7. Diverse Properties
Properties affect the use and safety of each plastic type
Plastics to avoid:
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
considered the most damaging of all plastics
releases carcinogenic dioxins into environment when manufactured
Polystyrene (PS)
can leach styrene, a possible
human carcinogen

8. Safer Plastics! PET, or polyethylene terephthalate
-considered among the safest plastics
-but still not safe to use for water bottles!
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Used in some reusable sports bottles,
but still leak some chemicals!
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BEST CHOICE FOR A WATER BOTTLE IS?

9. What can plastics be recycled into?

10. How are plastics sorted before recycling?
Still no good way other than manually
Till the end of the class period, work on a classification key with you partner to give to the workers at the recycling facility that would help them to easily classify unmarked plastics. You can work on it together, but make sure you are doing your own!
Keep in mind the characteristics of a good classification key that we talked about earlier!
Use the paper provided
Will be due, with the worksheet, at the beginning of class on Monday
Extra credit: Type a paragraph about a new technique or invention that are currently being implemented to aid in the SORTING of plastics