Thomas Melady

Plastic is formed out of petroleum, which is drilled out of the ground and

then sent for processing. The petroleum is then formed into ethane propane and other

stuffs. After that the ethane and propane are “cracked” into ethylene and propylene. A

catalyst is then added to this mixture in a reactor resulting in a substance called “fluff”

this substance is then added in with some additives in a continuous blender. This new

polymer is then fed through an extruder and cut into tiny pellets after being melted.

Making plastic to be distributes all around. Recycling plastic is much easier first the

plastic is cut up into chips and given a bath. It is then melted down and fed through an

extruder and formed into pellets called “Nurgles” the pellets are then redistributed.

Aluminum is processed in a much more complicated way. First the ore is mixed

with sodium hydroxide at a high temperature and pressure and put through a giant

blender to make “slurry”. Which is then fed into a digester, which heats it to 300 degrees

Fahrenheit at 50 pounds per square inch pressure for 30 min to several hours to dissolve

the alumina. Large tanks are then used to filter out non-alumina. Then alumina seeds are

used to form alumina crystals that will then sink to the bottom. They are then transferred

to calcinations kilns, which are over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Then large amounts of

electricity are run through alumina to give us CO2 and Aluminum. To recycle it is a lot

simpler and cheaper it just has to be cleaned, melted, formed into ingots, rolled into foil,

and reused.
 I believed that the item that should be recycled is aluminum. It for one thing

like other metals is a non-replenishable recourse also it takes a lot more energy to take it

from the environment and then form it to be usable. About 1 percent of all the USA’s

power goes into producing aluminum.

The reason I believe that recycling plastic isn’t as necessary is that its less

effective and cost less to produce. When recycling plastics they can’t be used again on

the same level they downgrade so to speak. Also a major factor is that producing new

aluminum is so bad for the environment because it uses 1 percent of US power meaning

that it uses a lot more fossil fuels than making plastics and there fossil fuels are burned

making it even worse. Aluminum on the other hand can be reused for the same object

over and over again.

"How Are Plastics

Made." Http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/quick/plastic.html. Web. 15
Oct. 2010. <http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/quick/plastic.html>.

"How Is Plastic Recycled?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Web. 15
Oct. 2010. <http://www.wisegeek.com/how-is-plastic-recycled.htm>.Rocks and "How
“Aluminum Is Produced." Rocks, Minerals, Fossils and Earth Science Supplies. Web. 15
Oct. 2010. <http://www.rocksandminerals.com/aluminum/process.htm>.Recycling-

"How Aluminium Is Recycled." Learn to Recycle on the Recycling Guide. Web. 15 Oct.
2010. <http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/science-aluminium.html>.