PLASTIC RECYCLING AND UTILIZATION DUE TO ITS XENOBIOTIC CHARACTERISTIC IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Plastics are typically organic polymers of high molecular mass, but they often contain other substances. They are usually synthetic, most commonly derived from petrochemicals, but many are partially natural. Most plastics contain organic polymers. The vast majority of these polymers are based on chains of carbon atoms alone or with oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen as well. PVC is one of the most widely used plastics. This application note details samples of PVC in the form of resin, thin films, gasket and pipe, which are to be prepared in cross section to a thickness of 1mm for general observation under optical light microscope. A percentage of the recycled pellets are then reintroduced into the main production operation. This closed-loop operation has taken place since the 1970s and has made the production of some plastic products amongst the most efficient operations today. The average size of plastic particles in the environment seems to be decreasing, and the abundance and global distribution of micro-plastic fragments have increased over the last few decades. However, the environmental consequences of such microscopic debris are still poorly understood.