Your Questions About Recycling
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Filed under Recycling Q & A
William asks…
Is there a recycling facility in Oklahoma City that would pay for plastic bottles?
My 7 year old son heard that he could make some money by recycling plastic… now we have 6 large trash bags full of bottles. And I don’t know where to go!
The Expert answers:
Here in Tulsa we can recycle plastic (and please do!!!) but we only receive money for soda cans. It is probably the same there. Call your city council ans ask.
George asks…
Does recycling plastic cause too much damage?
I’ve heard that an enormous amount of energy is used to recycle plastic. How much more energy does it take to recycle plastic than it takes to recycle paper products? How much more efficient can recycling methods become in the future? Is is it even valid to compare energy consumption and recycling, or are these apples and oranges?
The Expert answers:
Short answer NO when you compare it with the alternative: making new plastic.
But yes any recycling effort does take energy and resources. So our first goal should be to REDUCE CONSUMPTION so we have less to recycle
And yes you are comparing apples to oranges when you compare recycling efforts for plastic and paper. A lot of plastics are much sturdier and can be recycled several times. Paper fibers break down so it is not endlessly recyclable.
Thomas asks…
What has drought got to do with recycling plastic?
im doing a debate on recycleing plastic.
my topic is “shoul we be recycling plastic evan though we are in a drought.” i am on the against side an you give me some answers for that and some answers for what has recycling plastic got to do with a drought??
Thank you
The Expert answers:
You should always recycle plastic. Plastics can take up to a thousand years or more to decompose. Recycled plastics can be made into thousands of different new products. The amount of water needed to recycle plastic is a minimal compared to the environmental impact recycling the plastic will have. If a drought were bad enough to shut down a recycling center, they could stockpile the products until the drought is over, or ship to a nearby facility that is unaffected by the drought. There’s never a good reason not to recycle. And by the way, before you debate someone, you may want to check your spelling.
Jenny asks…
I am doing a project on recycling plastic bags and i need a catchy, unique title. Any ideas?
For my project I am turning plastic bags into reusable shopping bags. This way I am recycling plastic, and also preventing plastic bags from being used in the future. I need a title that is catchy, unique, and stands out. It needs to be somewhat short. Any ideas?!?!
The Expert answers:
Bag-It Plastic
Laura asks…
I have a question about recycling plastic bottles?
Would it be wrong for me to recycle plastic bottles without their lids.
I’m talking about stuff like water bottles and coke bottles. Is it okay for me to put them in one of those recycle boxes without their lids on?
Are their lids really important in the process of recycling?
The Expert answers:
They want the bottles uncapped. Whether or not the lids are recycled or of a different plastic is irrelevant. If the bottles are capped, then the steel rollers that flatten the bottles will suddenly slam together when the pressure reaches the burst point of the plastic and the force of them coming together can damage the equipment as well as present a safety hazard to the workers.
You always want to put the plastic bottles in the recycle boxes without the lids on. You can also toss the lids into the box for recycling separately but be sure that the bottles are uncapped.
Ken asks…
Should we be recycling plastic even though we are in a drought?
Should we be recycling plastic even though we are in a drought?
I am debating on this topic.
i am on the fore side can u plz give me some reasons for why we should.
Thank you.
The Expert answers:
Recycling plastic often saves it being dumped in landfill sites.
It saves in the consumption of a non renewable resource, crude oil.
It prevents the emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 which would be involved in the production of new plastic.
Climate change can cause both droughts in some areas and extra rain in others, and in any event single weather events may well not be linked to climate change.
Mary asks…
is it possible to get paid recycling plastic bottles?
i have a ton of plastic water bottles, i mean tons.
i heard someone tell me that recycling companies will pay for these in bulk. is this true? if so, what price should i be expecting to get?
i know it would be bad to just throw all of them into the trash can just like any other garbage which is why i want to recycle them.
The Expert answers:
You can take it to a nearby recycling center and get paid, but it’s not that much per bottle…only like 10 cents i think
Maria asks…
When recycling plastics do you end up with less plastic than you started?
I’ve read somewhere that when recycling plastics they get smaller and smaller. Is this true and why? And any websites or sources would be helpful as I can’t find any specific ones! Thanks 🙂
The Expert answers:
Yes. There is enough “extras” in plastic that it all does not make it to the next stage of its life via recycling. The treatment of plastic takes away some of its value each time.
Michael asks…
Is recycling my plastic harming the environment?
To recycle plastic food packaging, I wash it in heated drinking water. Given the environmental impact of creating drinking water, piping it to my house and then heating it in a gas boiler, would I be better putting it in landfill or burning it?
Of course the water and heating would be needed for other things even if I didn’t recycle.
I’m looking for research and figures rather than intuition.
Thanks
Thanks for all the opinion and telling me what *you* think but can anyone actually point to some figures or research?
The Expert answers:
Wow!!!!!!!!! Gud think. If all the personts think as you think, then there will be not an enviorenment problem in whole world..
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