About Plastics Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Plastics Make It Possible

4 Remarkable New Healthcare Innovations Made Possible by Plastics

Healthcare innovations continually amaze me, particularly those enabled by plastics. Advances in medical technology touch all of us, from preemie babies to senior citizens. Two basic advances alone—sterile plastic packaging and disposable medical items—have helped prevent countless infections, o...

Polycarbonate: Quite the Daredevil

Quick quiz: Is “bullet-proof” glass made with glass or plastics? The answer: yes. Typically, it’s made with both. And the type of plastic often used? Tough polycarbonate. I like to think that the major types of plastics have their own personalities. Polypropylene is sort of a superhero. HDPE...

Inspired by Hurricane, College Team Builds Energy Efficient Shore House with Plastics

I typically like to start my articles with a little humor. But there’s nothing funny about Hurricane Sandy. The “superstorm” was devastating. Many communities and homeowners up and down the East coast are still recovering. But in its aftermath, an inspiring team of students from a college in...

New Facility: Could This Be the Future of Plastics Recycling?

You know I’m a big fan of plastics recycling. So I like to take the opportunity every year to celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15. This year, I’m really excited about a new initiative that may well be a harbinger of things to come in plastics recycling. A very large plastics recycling ...

Tiny Houses—Big Energy Savings with Plastics

Question: How big is the average American house? Answer: Pretty big and getting bigger, hovering around an average 2,700 square feet in 2015. That’s nearly the square footage of a tennis court … the doubles tennis court. (On my humble professor’s salary, my house feels more like the size of a...

Highlights of Low-Density Polyethylene

Quick, what’s the difference between low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE)? Yes, this will be on the quiz… To help you answer that question, I covered HDPE plastic in a previous article, so you can bone up on that polymer if you need to. And I’ll cover LDPE...

The History of Plastics Recycling

Plastics recycling has a long and interesting history. It has expanded rapidly over the past few decades—today nearly all Americans have access to a plastics recycling program. And consumers now can find a wide range of products made with recycled plastics, from furniture to clothing to kitchen ga...

What are Bioplastics?

The term “bioplastics” seems to cause almost as much confusion as the term “biodegradable.” So what are bioplastics—and what, exactly, does the “bio” in bioplastics refer to? Bio … bio … hmmm. The history of plastics? No. Biotechnology? No. The “bio” in bioplastics actually has...

Learn the Plastic Facts with Professor Plastics

Hi, my name is Professor Plastics. If you’re looking for plastic facts and information, you’ve come to the right place. Have you ever wondered: what exactly are plastics? Where do plastics come from? How are they made? How are they recycled? Well, that’s why I’m here! I will answer your ques...

Can I Recycle Plastic Bags in the Curbside Recycling Bin?

There are so many recycling myths and misunderstandings floating around about what can be recycled, and how to do it, that this seems like a great time for a “recycling makeover.” Let’s begin the class… The most important point is that recycling is decided on a community by community basis �...

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