C1.34a Tackling the rubbish mountain These cards show the job titles of different people who deal with polymers. 1
Cut out the cards and match the words with the people who might have said them.
2
Which of the people are against the recycling of polymers? Why are they against it, and what would you say to these people?
1
Local government waste manager
4
Recycling company owner
2
Incinerator manager
5
Environmental campaigners
3
Plastics manufacturer
6
Government scientist
A
Polymers are wonderful materials and I have customers looking for new ways of using them. I could use recycled polymers for some jobs. Recycled polymers can be chopped up, melted and moulded into new products. Burning rubbish is one way of getting rid of it. In Japan and Hong Kong most rubbish is burnt in incinerators. There is only a little solid waste left after incineration that has to be put into landfill and we can use the heat to heat houses or to make electricity. We cannot go on filling holes in the ground with rubbish in the future as most of the suitable sites have already been used. Choosing an alternative is not simple. The European Union also limits the amount of waste we can send to landfill. Mixtures of plastics can be used where their appearance and properties are not important, such as for garden fences, but for most uses the different polymers must be separated. My company collects polymer waste from the waste disposal site, and sells the sorted polymers to manufacturers.
G I have to set the standards for owners of incinerators, power stations and chemical factories. I check that waste is not damaging the environment.
We would like people to reuse things that are made from polymers and not throw them away. Unfortunately all polymers end up in the rubbish at the end of their life cycle, so we would like to encourage people to use different materials that do not harm the environment. Recycling polymers just puts off the time when they will be dumped in the environment or burned.
L
B
C
D
E
F
Š Pearson Education 2010. Edexcel GCSE Science Activity Pack This document may have been altered from the original.
H
Burning polymers in incinerators makes poisonous gases that can escape into the air. Burning also produces gases that cause global warming.
I
Sorting polymers is difficult to do as many polymers have very similar properties and appearance. The best method of sorting them is by hand. Every plastic object is stamped with a mark, which shows what kind of plastic it is.
J
Recycled polymers do not have the quality of freshly made polymers because some of the molecules break up every time they are heated and softened. Sorting is never completely successful. We need plastics in the rubbish because they burn well and help other wastes to burn. Incinerators cost a lot of money to build as we have to make sure that toxic gases are not formed. Incinerators have to run for at least 25 years to make them economical. Biodegradable polymers do not leave any solid waste and could be a good alternative if they are made from plants that can be grown again.
K
C1.34b Advantages and disadvantages Name 1
Class
Date
There are different ways of dealing with waste polymers. Tick the correct boxes to show the method to which these statements apply. Landfill
Incineration
Recycling
Polymers are melted and reused There is a shortage of suitable places Polymer waste will stay for hundreds of years Electricity could be produced from burning polymers Burning polymers give off heat Waste is put in holes and covered with soil Polymers must be collected and sorted Burning polymers can give off toxic gases Polymers symbol-stamped to show what they are Using polymers again saves natural resources 2
Some of the statements below are disadvantages (they describe how polymers damage health or the environment, use energy or where money has to be spent to solve problems). Some statements are advantages (they describe how polymers help to solve environmental problems or aid humanity). Tick the boxes to show which are disadvantages and which are advantages.
Disadvantage Plastic bottles require less energy to make than glass bottles Polymers are made from crude oil, a non-renewable resource Polymer packaging can keep food fresh Polymers are difficult to sort for recycling Polymers give out energy when they burn Polymers give off toxic fumes when they burn Synthetic fibres clothes last longer than natural fibre clothes Polymer packaging does not decompose
Š Pearson Education 2010. Edexcel GCSE Science Activity Pack This document may have been altered from the original.
Advantage
C1.34c Biodegradable polymers Polymers such as poly(ethene) are not biodegradable. Polymers made from the products of crude oil can be made biodegradable by using additives that cause the chains of carbon atoms to break up – which allows microorganisms to use the material as a source of food. 1
a
Describe two ways in which non-biodegradable polymers can be disposed of.
b
Describe the disadvantages of these methods of disposal.
2
Which of these methods of disposal would be affected if biodegradable polymers were used instead? Explain your answer.
3
What are some of the problems with recycling polymers? Putting biodegradable polymers made from crude oil into landfill will add more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than nonbiodegradable ones. We should be making our polymers from plant materials.’
4
Why do many people think that we should reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that human activities release into the atmosphere?
5
Explain why biodegradable polymers made from crude oil products would add more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than non-biodegradable ones. Use the word ‘respiration’ in your answer.
6
a
Explain how making biodegradable polymers from plant materials, such as starch, would avoid this problem.
b
What problems could using plant materials introduce instead? (Hint: Think back to your work on biofuels.)
Extra challenge 7
The government is planning to introduce a tax on items made from non-biodegradable polymers, to encourage manufacturers to make them from biodegradable polymers instead. Write a letter to your MP saying what you think of this proposal, giving reasons for your opinion.
© Pearson Education 2010. Edexcel GCSE Science Activity Pack This document may have been altered from the original.