David Siddiqui Plastic Recycling May 9 2005 Plastic Recycling and Public Perception David Siddiqui Abstract While the triangle shaped chasing arrows logo is widely believed to mean recyclable it is actually part of the public domain and a product does not have to be recyclable in order to wear the logo The vast majority of plastic packaging displays the logo while the recyclability of plastic is a complex and debatable issue This study looks at how residents of Berkeley and Oakland perceive the recyclability of plastics hypothesizing that most people rely primarily on the logo to ascertain recyclability and that more Oakland than Berkeley residents think all plastics are recyclable Participants were given a survey regarding their recycling knowledge and habits and were asked to determine the recyclability of four plastic containers with different characteristics Two trends dominated the results 1 A very high proportion of people answered in accordance with the presence or absence of the logo confirming the logo as a primary source of information on recyclability 2 A very high proportion of people answered that all plastics are recyclable This was indeed exhibited more in the Oakland residents though not by a conclusive amount Only 0 3 of the participants were able to identify all four containers correctly highlighting the need for education Residents play a key role in the waste system and are faced with many choices regarding purchasing and disposal These decisions need to be based upon a clear understanding of local and global production and disposal processes rather than a murky understanding based upon an unclear marketing tool 1 David Siddiqui Plastic Recycling May 9 2005 Introduction The chasing arrows logo shaped like a triangular Mobius loop has become a universal symbol for recycling It was created in 1970 by University of Southern California student Gary Anderson for a design contest held by the Container Corporation of America CCA a large producer of recycled paperboard At the time there was a burgeoning awareness of environmental issues and the Chicago based company offered free tuition to a college of choice for whatever student could best graphically represent the recycling process CCA promoted the use of the logo before attempting to trademark it and then met trouble in the application process due to its popularity The logo fell into the public domain and its usage increased at an even faster rate Jones 1999 The Society of the Plastics Industry SPI instituted a voluntary labeling system in 1988 that consists of a code number placed inside the symbol to specify the primary resin used in the product SPI 1988 Seeing the value in differentiating the types of plastics 39 states have required the use of the SPI codes on rigid plastic containers distributed in the state solidifying the logo s presence even further Wigotsky 1995 Other countries followed suit and started using the logo or developing their own iterations and now many people across the globe associate the logo with recycling while the products on which they appear actually do not have to be recyclable There are a number of issues that contribute to the complexity of plastic recycling The most basic of these is the definition of recycling For example in its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims the Federal Trade Commission FTC asserts that recycling includes the reuse reconditioning and remanufacturing of products or parts in another product This rather broad definition includes both primary and secondary recycling Primary recycling refers to a process in which a used product is converted into a product similar to the original product Secondary recycling refers to a process in which a used product is converted into a product with less demanding physical and chemical characteristics than the original product Primary recycling is generally more desirable because it reduces the need for virgin material and eliminates the need to create new market niches for secondary products Hegberg et al 1992 Plastics are most easily applied in the secondary recycling market yielding products like plastic lumber farm animal pens boat docks and traffic barriers Mustafa 1993 Some people may not include secondary recycling in their conception of recycling so it is important to be clear and specific about definitions to avoid confusion 2 David Siddiqui Plastic Recycling May 9 2005 Plastic recycling is subject to other complications There are many different types of plastics The most common plastics can be grouped into two main categories and have varying characteristics with regard to recyclability Thermoplastics the most widely used type of plastics include polyethylene PE polyethylene terephthalate PET or PETE low density polyethylene LDPE high density polyethylene HDPE polyvinyl chloride PVC polypropylene PP polystyrene PS polycarbonates PC and polyamide PA The heating and cooling processes are reversible because they do not change the chemical characteristics making thermoplastics generally suitable for recycling The molecular chain does progressively degrade however so the potential for recycling is finite Thermosetting plastics such as polyurethane PUR polyesters and epoxy resins are not as suitable for recycling as thermoplastics because their chemical features change when heated Smits 1996 The types of plastic acceptable for recycling depend on location The FTC recommends that if recycling facilities are not available to a substantial majority of consumers or communities for a particular container recyclability claims should be qualified to disclose the limited availability of recycling programs for the container However a logo embedded on the bottom of a container is considered inconspicuous and does not constitute a recyclability claim according to the FTC Regardless these guidelines are not legislative rules and are not enforceable by law FTC The viability of markets for recycled plastic depends on location and the type of plastic The markets for recycled plastic are generally small because they are relatively new and they are at a disadvantage because governments provide hidden subsidies to the producers of virgin materials in the form of tax breaks or free services These subsidies affect the supply curve of virgin output increasing the amount of virgin output and lowering the price of virgin materials This lower price lowers the price paid for the closely substitutable recyclable materials and
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