Plastic is a wonderful invention! Since 1951, when Phillips Petroleum Company invented polypropylene and polyethylene, one of the most versatile material ever invented is used in almost everything we have.

Here is a quick guide of where plastic comes from:

• Petroleum is drilled and transported to a refinery.
• Crude oil and natural gas are refined into ethane, propane, hundreds of other petrochemical products, including car-fuel.
• Ethane and propane are "cracked" into ethylene and propylene, using high-temperature furnaces.
• Catalyst is combined with ethylene or propylene in a reactor, resulting in "fluff," a powdered material (polymer) resembling laundry detergent.
• Fluff is combined with additives in a continuous blender.
• Polymer is fed to an extruder where it is melted.
• Melted plastic is cooled then fed to a pelletizer that cuts the product into small pellets.
• Pellets are then shipped to different manufacturers who create plastic products by using processes such as extrusion, injection molding, and blow molding.

There is more than one type of plastic as we need different kinds for the types of uses we have in mind. From stiff car-body parts to soft sandwich bags, different kinds of polymers are used to create plastic. Because plastic degrades extremely slowly, it is beneficial to recycle it for re-use. But because they are made up of different parts, they cannot be pooled together to break back down into parts so a recycling-number system was devised.

Different types of plastics and common uses:

	PET	Polyethylene terephthalate - Carbonated drink bottles, oven-ready meal trays, and sandwich bags.
	HDPE	High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and hand-soap bottles.
	PVC	Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, mineral water, and shampoo.
	LDPE	Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and trash-bin liners.
	PP	Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.
	PS	Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.
	OTHER	Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories and possibly made from different polymers. - Small packaging and melamine which is often used in plastic plates and cups.

Due to the nature of the recycling process, not all plants can reclaim all forms of plastic. In fact, most of them can only receive just a few types (check your local recycling center for their recycling capabilities).

It is one thing to go through all this trouble for an item with great capabilities, yet in fact much of the plastic that we create turns into items with a very limited function (like the shopping bag). As outlined how long it takes to decompose in the landfills, the resources it takes to manufacture, and how many states and countries are starting to ban them, it's apparent that we aught to curb our appetite from them as much as possible.

For more information:

Allplasticbottles.org - A free site that promotes plastic bottle recycling awareness including free graphics, downloadable brochures, and key statistics.

E-cycling Central - electronic recycling stations where you live. Click on your state to see where you can take your used electronics for proper disposal.

Plastic Recycling Company has statistics on amount of plastic recycled, what products are made from them, car-recycling program, and other valuable information - another good resource.