Waste and Recycling: Emphasis on Plastic

Flashcards about Waste, Recycling, and Plastic Pollution

Recycling

Collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

Agency promoting a waste management hierarchy.

Aluminum and Glass

100% recyclable with infinite lives.

Paper and Cardboard

Mostly recyclable but non-recyclable when mixed with other materials like plastic film or when soiled with food waste; it has a limited lifespan of 5-7 lives.

Recycling Best Practices

Empty and rinse to remove all residues, remove excess water, and do not bag items.

Non-Conventional Disposal/Recycling

Goes beyond curbside bins and requires specialized programs and/or drop-off locations; includes retail drop-off locations for items like plastic bags, wraps, and films.

CleanLA (cleanla.lacounty.gov/)

Website for permanent centers and temporary collection events for household hazardous waste, mattress, tire, and electronic waste recycling.

Plastic

Primarily derived from fossil fuels (crude oil, natural gas, and coal) and became heavily produced during the war due to shortage of traditional materials.

Plastic Recycling Statistics

Only about 9% is properly recycled globally, about 1/3 ends up in nature, and it can take thousands of years to completely break down.

Recycling Symbol (Chasing Arrows)

May be deceptive or misleading because the symbol does not automatically mean the product can be easily recycled.

Resin Identification Codes

Include PETE (polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), LDPE (low-density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PS (polystyrene), and OTHER.

Commonly Recyclable Plastics

Types 1 and 2, which include hard plastics such as containers and jugs.

Plastic Type 5

Plastic type 5, may also be recycled at some facilities. Examples include disposable cups and takeout containers.

California’s “Truth in Recycling” Law (SB 343)

Enacted in 2021, aims to ensure that recycling labels accurately reflect the recyclability of products and their packaging.

Limits of Plastic Recycling

Can be recycled at most 2-3 times, as its structure becomes weaker; ultimately, all plastic's final destination is often the landfill.

Plastic Sizes

Includes macro and mesoplastic (> 5mm), microplastic (> 1mm, up to 5mm), and nanoplastic (1nm to 1mm).

Primary Microplastics

Come directly from factories, mostly pre-production pellets, also known as nurdles, beads or resins.

Secondary Microplastics

Weathered/broken down plastic from synthetic fibers and fragments of plastic waste.

Plastic entering Oceans

The equivalent of one garbage truck enters our oceans every minute of every day, all year round.

Gyre

Ocean currents center, form large garbage patches.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Located between Hawaii and California, holding about 80k tons of waste.

Biomagnification

Pollutants/toxic substances increase in concentration as they move up the food chain.

Bioaccumulation

The process by which a pollutant accumulates in an organism over time.

Ingesting Plastic

Plastic particles can physically block nutrient absorption and cause mechanical damage to their digestive tract. Animals are commonly injured by plastic through cuts, entanglement and suffocation.

Braun et al. (2021) Study

Microplastics are introduced into our bodies before we are even born, finding it in the mother’s placenta and the newborn’s meconium.

Leslie et al. (2022) Study

Microplastic is found in the blood of up to 80% of all adult humans. Plastic in the blood could lead to cell death and inflammation.

Nihart et al. (2025) Study

Showed that the average brain contained 7 grams of microplastic and that higher levels of plastic were found in the brains of people with dementia.

Flame retardants

Linked to cancer and were found at high levels in recycled black-colored plastics. People with the highest levels of fire retardants in their blood had increased risk of dying from cancer

Hormone Disruptors (phthalates, parabens and BPA)

Chemicals interfere with the body’s natural hormone system by mimicking, blocking or altering hormones, leading to hormonal imbalance, infertility, neurodevelopmental disorders, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

How Microplastic Enters Our Bodies

Plastic can be leached from bottles carrying liquids, food in plastic packaging, and our air is filled with plastic.

Alternatives to avoid plastic

Reusable water bottles (stainless steel or glass), glass containers for food storage, stainless steel utensils, wooden or stainless steel kitchen utensils and Pick natural clothing fibers

Protect Ourselves from Plastic

Look for products that do not contain hormone disrupting chemicals such as BPA and phthalates, Avoid heating food or storing hot food in plastic as the heat may cause chemicals to leach into your food and dust/vacuum and ventilate your home regularly as microplastics may add to indoor pollutants