One of the main issues regarding the recycling of plastic is lack of opportunity to recycle. This is partly because plastic can be contaminated with other materials and the cost of processing this can outweigh the cost of producing more plastic so compared to other materials like glass and paper, there are fewer places to recycle plastic. However, plastic is lightweight and highly versatile and one way round this is to re-use plastic within the home.

There are many different types of plastic but most plastics fall into one of the following main types:
o PET - Fizzy drinks bottles and trays for convenience foods to put straight into the oven
o HDPE - Milk bottles and washing up liquid bottles
o PVC - Cling film, juice and water bottles, shampoo bottles
o LDPE - Plastic bags
o PP - Margarine tubs and microwavable meal containers
o PS - Clear plastic carton, plastic cutlery and cups, yoghurt pots, meat and fish foam trays

They are also generally non-degradable which means they can take a long time to decompose and break down. Landfill sites require more and more space due to the amount of plastic being disposed of and this is an area of concern, particularly as around 80% of plastic is disposed of in landfill sites with less than 10% currently being recycled.

Solutions are constantly being sought and although more and more supermarket chains and retailers are now issuing biodegradable plastic bags, this in itself can be a problem as many people might think that it is OK to just throw them away as they will eventually break down, which is not always the case. Some of these biodegradable bags rely on sunlight to break them down so if they are thrown away as part of household rubbish and end up in a landfill site, they will not degrade because there is no light.

What you can do to help:
o Re-use plastic bags as much as possible - don't throw them away
o Buy refillable products as much as possible
o When purchasing fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, don't put them into plastic bags - it isn't necessary
o Find out what plastic re-cycling facilities there are in your own area and use them, encourage your family and friends to do the same
o Try to buy products made from plastic that has been recycled.

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