By Abby Mastromonaco and Jacob Humphrey WHAT IS RECYCLING? By definition, recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new products. Plastics are collected from the curb by waste management services, and then brought to Material Recovery Facilities (MRF). The plastic then goes through sorting, washing, processing, shredding, melting, and ends up as plastic pellets. For a more detailed description into the workings of recycling, read this article by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Check out this game to try the sorting process for yourself! Even though consu ..read more

By Ryan Baker and Rachel LaLumiere OVERVIEW Fresh produce packaging has become a problem within plastics waste as it is a one time use of plastic. Loose produce is sold wrapped in plastic film in order to make it last longer on the shelf and after it is purchased. Most shrink wraps are made of LDPE, while some others are made of PVC or PP. There are alternatives that can be used instead of plastic that our society can transition to, as well as societal pros and cons to be considered when it comes to fresh produce packaging. ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTIC Transitioning to other materials rather than ..read more

By Kam Strong Continued use of biomass as an alternative to obtain crude oil will shift the demand for plastic feedstocks from traditional oil-drilled petroleum to bio-based and bio-compatible substitutes. Wheat straw, sewage sludge from the waste-water treatment plant, and algae (spirulina) are examples of usable biomass. The mixture revolved by the turbines is referred to as the slurry. By conserving heat during the process, the energy content of the bio-crude out-weighs the energy expended to sustain the process. Heat recovery occurs as the Bio-Crude mixture transfers heat to the incoming ..read more

Kyle Arsenault, UMass Lowell The Coronavirus Pandemic has resulted in unprecedented changes in the livelihoods of billions of people around the globe. This blog post will explore the effects that the virus has had on the plastics industry as well as the individual consumer. From everyone at Plastics Facts, we hope that you and your families are safe during these times. How long can COVID-19 live on plastic surfaces? Since this virus has emerged, questions have been raised by the medical community about how long the virus usually lives on different surfaces. The virus is known as a novel-coron ..read more

By Dan Barbin Climate change is very real and is a growing concern for the entire planet.  One major cause that has no single solution involves greenhouse gas emissions.  The largest greenhouse gas emitted is carbon dioxide which is dominated by fossil fuels and industrial processes. It has become clear that the world must wean itself off its dependency on non-renewable fossil resources.  The plastics industry is inextricably linked to the fossil fuel industry not only because 4% of the world’s natural gas and oil are used to make plastics, but also since lightweight plastic pa ..read more

Colin Senechal, UMass Lowell             On January 1st, 2018, China issued a new ban on imported waste plastics  from any outside country. This was done as a part of their ongoing initiative to reduce pollution, as the recycling of imported waste can result in the release of unwanted pollutants into the environment. Of the many countries affected by this ban, the United States may be hit the hardest. Source             Unfortunately, this ban significantly affects the US’s abili ..read more

We want to share some plastics facts about a current topic of concern in plastics health and safety. You may have heard about BPA, a chemical commonly found in some plastics. But what plastics? What is the risk? Is anyone doing anything to improve the situation? Over the next few posts we will address the facts on three facets of BPA in the plastics industry:  Evidence of human health effects from BPA exposure, Environmental fate and transport of BPA, Industry responses and solutions to the problem with BPA and other hazardous chemicals. We hope this answers your questions and dispel ..read more

Madison Reed, UMass Lowell Plastics Facts would like to introduce Plastics Crash Course, a site designed by UML Plastics Engineering senior Maddie Reed, as her honor’s thesis project. She is designing infographics to help educate people on why plastics recycling is important and to break some misconceptions about what common items can and can’t be recycled. Participate in a 3-minute survey by clicking here and then check out some of Maddie’s infographics! https://plasticscrashcourse.wixsite.com/my-site ..read more

By Jacob Langenfeld and Evan Affonso What Plastics Are In Transportation? Throughout the evolution of transportation vehicles, manufacturers and producers have made many different material implementations and changes in order for these vehicles to be most efficient for their consumers. In order for these vehicles to be at its peak efficiency, producers need to take into consideration the types of materials that are being used to complete the overall final product that they are selling. Nowadays, plastics are the primary material for transportation vehicles being so lightweight and fuel efficie ..read more

By James Richards and Jack Sullivan James and Jack explain microplastics What are microplastics? Some plastics are meant to be small. An example of these are the microbeads you see in your hand sanitizer, beauty products, or any “rinse-off” cosmetic including shampoo and toothpaste. Microplastics are considered to be any plastic less than 5 millimeters big and they can be fibers, fragments, or gel-like structures (such as the ones used in personal care products). Microplastics can be found in sediment, soils, water columns, arctic sea ice, mountain tops, sea trenches, and this could be bad for ..read more