Hypothetical question on recycling plastics?

Question

I know how hard it is to recycle plastics, like bags and bottles and such. DO you think there is an efficent and economical way to partially melt or adhere plastics together to make like commerical fenceposts, bricks, or wall materials with out harmful side effects, leeching, high energy output to make them? If we were to just walk around gathering plastic bags, bottles and other stuff that clogg landfills and take hundreds of years to decay is this s resource we could scientifically use for building material?

Answer 1

they do that all the time.  plastic refuse is constantly being recycled into all kinds of things.  that's why you are asked to recycle plastic of all kinds.

Answer 2

you can make a little extra money don't forget!!  and yes, many are re-used to building materials..etc..

Answer 3

its about time local councils found a way to recycle plastic bags, go back to old days when they had paper bags that way they can be recycled

Answer 4

yes

Answer 5

It's already being done.  There are several companies that make and market things like 2x4s, 4x6s, and even 4x8s.  These are now usually sold as 'kits' to build things like decks, park benches, etc., because these things tend to 'break down rapidly' when made of wood, and the 'plastic alternatives' are much longer lasting.  They 'look like' painted wood, and there is no 'smell' to them, but I have a feeling that because this stuff is NOT marketed for use indoors that there are some 'gaseous fumes' that would build up and harm people ... but I'm not sure.  One of the brand names of this plastic alternative to wood is called 'Trax' ... why don't you do a search to find out more ...

Answer 6

This exists.  There are products such as orcaboard and trexx which are made out of recycled plastic.  Some are composites, meaning they are made of recycled plastic and sawdust.  There are advantages and disadvantages of both.  Products made of only plastic can be recycled when you are done, added wood fiber makes composites more colour-safe.

Orcaboard sells kits to make picnic tables, planter boxes, trash cans, and ton of other stuff.  Check it out.

www.orcaboard.com

Answer 7

There are two types of plastics;  Thermoplastic plastics, and thermoset plastics.

Thermoplastics are recyclable to a limited extent.  The long chains that give the plastic it's desirable properties tend to bind or break every time the plastic is recycled, so it can only be recycled for the same use to a limited extent.

Thermosets, and recycled thermoplastics can be somewhat reduced by solvents, but the solvents themselves are usually harmful to the environment.  The resulting gels from these solvents are not always useful either.

In the facility where I work, we manufacture Polyurethane, a thermoset plastic, as part of a total production process.  The scrap polyurethane is disposed of at cement factories where it is burned to turn limestone components into cement.  I believe there is some work in ultrasonics to try to better recycle these materials, but it currently takes much more energy to reduce these plastics to their base components than it takes to simply make new plastics.  I am sure that eventually it will be cheaper to recycle.

Answer 8

I always thought of this, I dont think there is an energy efficient way to make new plastics without harming the environment. This may sound weird but maybe a giant magnifying glass could do it. costs no energy but it does cause pollution, but there might be a way.

Answer 9

it takes too much energy to compact simple plastics such as those into harder plastics that emulate eurothane plastics like in the materials your describing. its just not very practicle, sry.