The Complicated Truth About Plastic

Chemicals and microscopic particles from plastics are unfortunately a constant part of our daily lives and diet. The more you know about plastic the better off you will be. This way you can make educated decisions about the food and water you consume and your health.

.In case you didn’t realize it, there are literally a millions of uses for plastic and hundreds if not thousands different types of plastic. Plastics are identified by seven resin identification codes that help consumers and recovery facilities identify the main properties of the plastic in hand. The resin code does not mean a particular plastic is recyclable.

Microscopic Differences

Microplastics are defined as any piece of plastic measuring between five millimeters (5 mm) and one micrometer (1 μm) in size. Plastics smaller than that, measuring between one micrometer and 100 nanometers (100 nm), are defined as sub-microplastic. And plastics below 100 nm in size are defined as nanoplastics.

Sources of Microplastic Plastics

Synthetic Fibers - Between the air and the wash, clothes made from fleece, acrylic and polyester emit microscopic fibers with every wash and shed fibers into the air and environment

Paints - Paint dust from road markings, ship paint, marine bouys, house paint and more

Tire Dust - Styrene butadiene tire dust is washed into storm sewers which ultimately enter streams, rivers and oceans.

Secondary Microplastics - Items such as toothbrushes, plastic bags, straws, bottles and takeout containers break down and fragment into smaller pieces that reach marine and human food chains.

Microbeads - While microbeads are banned in facial cleansers and some cosmetics in the U.S. and Canada, microbeads still exist in the environment.

The Seven Types of Plastics:

• RESIN CODE - NO. 1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) (Recycling Indicator #1)
• RESIN CODE - NO. 2: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) (Recycling Indicator #2)
• RESIN CODE – NO. 3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (Recycling Indicator #3)
• RESIN CODE – NO. 4: Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) (Recycling Indicator #4)
• RESIN CODE – NO. 5: Polypropylene (PP) (Recycling Indicator #5)
• RESIN CODE – NO. 6: Polystyrene (PS) (Recycling Indicator #6)
• RESIN CODE – NO. 7: Other (Recycling Indicator #7)

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+ Learn more about plastics and microplastics, and their effects on the environment here
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