Plastic recycling symbols only tell you what type of plastic an item is made from — not that the item is recyclable. Plastics 1, 2, and 5 are typically recyclable, while 3, 4, 6, and 7 can rarely be ...

Biodegradable plastics can break down naturally through the action of living organisms such as bacteria. They are made from renewable sources such as corn starch or sugar cane and don’t linger in the ...

A prototype sensor being developed by sensor manufacturer IDEC (Sunnyvale, CA) uses light to differentiate among three different types of plastic. Aimed at the recycling industry for accurately ...

In contrast to common perceptions, plastic is in no way near one material. Rather, it is a combination of many materials (polymers) with different chemical compounds and additives such as pigments or ...

Recycling plastics is challenging, but new technology could produce high-quality materials for car and computer components, all while helping tackle the pollution crisis. Discarded plastics, which can ...

Of all the major types of materials used today, plastics are one of the fastest-growing categories and offer the greatest opportunity for innovation. Decades of development towards improving the ...

Plastic is a material of possibilities. It can hold groceries and take photographs; it constitutes ski coats and desk chairs and toothbrushes and suitcases. It can do all these things with the same ...

Americans' use of plastic boomed during the pandemic, including mountains of single-use items such as takeout containers, plastic bags and, of course, face masks. At the same time, we're recycling ...

One way to reduce plastic pollution in the environment is to identify different types of plastic to guarantee efficient waste management. Plastics are one of the most widely utilized products globally ...

Not all plastics are created the same, and some last longer in the ocean than others. Scientists have been working for years to quantify the environmental lifetimes of a wide range of plastic goods to ...