Erasmus + Training course – Turning Waste Into Worth (2019-1-ES02-KA105-012751) organized by Asociación PROJUVEN

1. DAY 2
Training course – Turning Waste Into
Worth (2019-1-ES02-KA105-012751)

2. Are you a USER or a
CONSUMER?

4. •Find two examples of businesses
that are “going circular”.
•Give a one-sentence description,
and indicate which part of the
butterfly diagram they belong to.
•Provide a link to a website or
video if possible.
Group Task

6. Brief History of Plastic
• Invented in the nineteenth
century as a replacement for raw
substances like ivory, rubber and
shellac, plastic was originally
conceived as a remedy for
restricted and dwindling natural
resources.
• Beginning in the mid-1930s,
switching to plastics proved
extremely efficient: the same
worker who had turned out 350
hair combs per day could now
make more than 10,000 in equal
time.

7. What is a Plastic?
Any of a group of synthetic or natural organic
materials that may be shaped when soft and then
hardened, including many types of resins,
resinoids, polymers, cellulose derivatives, casein
materials, and proteins: used in place of other
materials, as glass, wood, and metals, in
construction and decoration, for making many
articles, as coatings, and, drawn into filaments,
for weaving.

8. Plastic
Can you think of advantages or disadvantages of
using plastics in our daily lives?
Can you name different products made out of plastic ?

9. Plastics
Task – name 10 objects made of plastic that in this moment you have with
you or is in close proximity to you.

10. Plastic
• how do we use plastics in our homes?

11. Transformation of
Petroleum to Plastic
The technological road from oil field to finished plastic product has
numerous fascinating side trips. Here’s the route taken in the
petroleum-to-plastics process:

12. 1. Petroleum is drilled and transported to a refinery.
2. Crude oil and natural gas are refined into ethane, propane, hundreds of
other petrochemical products and, of course, fuel for your car.

13. 3. Ethane and propane are "cracked”
into ethylene and propylene, using
high-temperature furnaces
4. Catalyst is combined with ethylene
or propylene in a reactor, resulting
in "fluff," a powdered material
(polymer) resembling laundry
detergent.
5. Fluff is combined with additives in
a continuous blender.
6. Polymer is fed to an extruder
where it is melted.

14. 7. Melted plastic is cooled then fed to a pelletizer that cuts the product
into small pellets. (Pellets are also known as nurdles)
8. Pellets are shipped to customers.

15. 9. Customers manufacture plastic products by using processes
such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, etc.
Extrusion Molding
Main process used to form plastics. A
heated plastic compound is forced
continuously through a forming die
made in the desired shape (like
squeezing toothpaste from a tube, it
produces a long, usually narrow,
continuous product). The formed
plastic cools under blown air or in a
water bath and hardens on a moving
belt. Rods, tubes, pipes, Slinkys®, and
sheet and thin film (such as food
wraps) are extruded then coiled or cut
to desired lengths.

16. Other Methods:
Other Methods:
Injection Molding
The second most widely used process to form plastics. The plastic compound, heated to a
semifluid state, is squirted into a mold under great pressure and hardens quickly. The
mold then opens and the part is released. This process can be repeated as many times as
necessary and is particularly suited to mass production methods. Injection molding is used
for a wide variety of plastic products, from small cups and toys to large objects weighing
30 pounds or more.
Blow Molding
Pressure is used to form hollow objects, such as the soda pop bottle or two-gallon milk
bottle, in a direct or indirect method. In the direct blow-molding method, a partially
shaped, heated plastic form is inserted into a mold. Air is blown into the form, forcing it to
expand to the shape of the mold. In the indirect method, a plastic sheet or special shape is
heated then clamped between a die and a cover. Air is forced between the plastic and the
cover and presses the material into the shape of the die.

17. Anything can be made out
of plastic and disposable!
tables Fiberglass chairs
hula hoops
disposable Bic pens
silly putty
nylon panty hose
trash cans
diapers
plates
cups
lobster bibs
windows
medical exams gloves
detergent bottles
bags
packaging
6-pack connecters water bottles
utensils jewelrycups computers
desks
Storage bins Coffee cup lids
Cell phones
tupperware
Fishing line
Dry erase markers

18. • Thermoplastics
Plastic
Resuming, this material is man made
and is a by product of the oil industry.
There are two types of plastic :
• Thermosetting

19. These are described as plastics that can be
reformed using heat : this plastic has a
memory, it returns to its original flat shape
when re-heated.
Here are some examples and their uses :
Acrylic – available in almost any colour in sheet rod or
tube form, can be shaped using a line bender or
vacuum former.
ABS – a very commonly used plastic can be injection
moulded from a powder form.
Thermoplastics materials
Styrene – very good for vacuum forming.
thermoplastic resin.
Polypropylene
ABS.

20. Polyester resin – poured into moulds to
make products or for boat repair
Thermosetting materials
These are described as plastics that do not
reform using heat, they “SET” and cannot
be reshaped .
Urea formaldehyde – electric plugs and
sockets
Melamine – kitchen worktops,
unbreakable drink mugs
Here are some examples and their uses :
Harry Allen’s paper weight/doorstop
made from resin
Kettle saucepan handles

21. Materials – PlasticsPlastics are synthetic resinous substances that can be moulded with the help of heat or pressure. There are two
main classes of plastics:
• Thermosetting – plastics that can only be heated and be moulded once. If re-heated they cannot soften.
• Thermoplastics – plastics that are moulded by heating and can be remoulded if heated again.
Thermoplastics soften when heated and can be shaped when hot. The plastic will harden as it cools down.
Thermoplastic Thermoplastic
properties
Thermoplastic uses Example outcomes
Acrylics or Perspex
(Polymethyl
Methacrylate)
Stiff, hard, shiny, brittle in
small sections, durable,
scratches easily, available
in different colours, good
electrical insulator
Used for signs, key rings,
lighting, storage containers
High impact polystyrene
(HIPS)
Light but strong plastic,
available in sheets in a
variety of thicknesses and
colours and softens at
about 95 degrees
Used for vacuum forming and
making outer casings and
packaging for products
Acetate Hard, shiny and
translucent/transparent
Used in badge-making,
packaging and for overhead
projector transparencies
Expanded polystyrene
(styrofoam)
White, lightweight and
crumbly
Used for protective or
insulating packaging
Materials - Plastics

22. Materials – PlasticsThermoplastic Thermoplastic
properties
Thermoplastic uses Example outcomes
Polypropylene (PP) Light, hard, flexible but can
scratch easily. Durable to
wear and has good
resistance to chemicals
Used for different kinds of
packaging, chairs,
gadgets, textiles and
automotive components
Low density
polyethylene (LDPE)
Soft, flexible, good
resistance to chemicals,
good electrical insulator,
tough
Used for packaging film,
carrier bags, bottles, toys
High density
polyethylene (HDPE)
Hard, stiff and strong. Able
to be sterilised
Used for plastic bottles,
tubing and household
equipment
Corrugated plastic Lightweight, rigid and
weatherproof
Used for sign boards and
folders
Low-tack masking film Flexible and transparent Used to position sticky-
backed vinyl letters or
images onto a chosen
surface. Used for creating
signs, stencils and vehicle
signage
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Stiff, hard wearing, brittle
but can be treated to make
it softer and more rubbery
Used for blister packs,
window frames, records
and clothing
Materials - Plastics

23. 7 categories of plastics
• Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) founded in 1937.
Developed a Resin Identification Code (RIC) in 1988 to
help with the recycling of the different plastics
available.
• There are 7 categories within the RIC.
– 1 – PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
– 2 – HDPE (high density polyethylene)
– 3 – V or PVC (Vinyl or Poly (vinyl chloride))
– 4 – LDPE (low density polyethylene)
– 5 – PP (polypropylene)
– 6 – PS (polystyrene)
– 7 – Other (mixed plastics)

24. 1 – PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
(-CO-C6H4-CO-O-CH2-CH2-O-)n
• Packaging applications: Soft drink bottles, water bottles, beer bottles,
mouthwash bottles, peanut butter containers, salad dressing containers,
juice bottles, vegetable oil bottles
• Recycled products: Fiber, tote bags, new PETE containers for both food
and non-food products, fabric for clothing, athletic shoes, luggage,
upholstery, furniture, carpet, fiberfill for sleeping bags and winter coats,
industrial strapping, sheet, and film, and automotive parts, such as luggage
racks, headliners, fuse boxes, bumpers, grilles and door panels
Note: the C6H4 highlighted in the molecular formula above represents a
benzene ring. Benzene is generally considered a carcinogenic substance.
recyclable / non resuable

25. 2 – HDPE (high density polyethylene)
(-CH2-CH2-)n
• Packaging applications: Milk containers, juice bottles,
water bottles, bleach, detergent, and shampoo bottles, trash
bags, grocery and retail carrying bags, motor oil bottles,
butter and margarine tubs, household cleaner bottles, yogurt
containers, and cereal box liners
• Recycled products: Drainage pipe, liquid laundry detergent
bottles, oil bottles, pens, benches, doghouses, recycling
containers, floor tile, picnic tables, fencing, lumber, and
mailbox posts
recyclable/ resuable in some cases

26. 3 - Vinyl or PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
(-CH2-CHCl-)n
• Packaging applications: Window cleaner bottles, cooking oil bottles,
detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, clear food packaging, wire and cable
jacketing, medical tubing, with additional significant usage in household
products and building materials, particularly siding, piping, and windows
• Recycled products: Binders, decking, paneling, mud flaps, roadway
gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, and mats
Note: The Cl (chlorine atom) in the molecular formula renders PVC a
potentially toxic material when it is burned. The burning of PVC can result
in the creation of dioxins, a material that is considered highly carcinogenic.
Non recyclable/ non resuable

27. 4 – LDPE (low density polyethylene)
( - CH2 - CH2 - )n
• Packaging applications: Squeezable bottles, bread bags, frozen food
bags, tote bags, clothing, furniture, dry cleaning bags, and carpet
• Recycled products: Film and sheet, floor tile, garbage can liners,
shipping envelopes, furniture, compost bins, paneling, trash cans,
lumber, landscaping ties
Note: The molecular formulas for LDPE and HDPE are the same. The
difference in the plastics is the density of the molecular chains. The
density varies in the manner in which the polymeric chains form.
Recyclable/ resuable

28. 5 – PP( polypropylene)
(-CHCH3-CH2-)n
• Packaging applications: Yogurt containers, syrup
bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles
• Recycled products: Signal lights, battery cables,
brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers,
landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets,
and trays
Difficult to recycle – resuable

29. 6 – PS (polystyrene)
(-CHC6H5-CH2-)n
• Packaging applications: Plates, cups, cutlery, meat trays, egg
cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc
jackets
• Recycled products: Thermal insulation, light switch plates,
egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers
Note: C6H5 in the molecular formula comprises a benzene ring.
Benzene is generally considered a carcinogenic substance.
reciclable – non-resuable

30. 7 – Other (misc. plastics)
Properties: varies according to constituent resins
Statistic: In 1999 there was minimal usage of resins in the
'other' category in plastic bottles.
Description: The category of "Other" includes any resin not
specifically numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, or combinations of one
or more of these resins.
Packaging applications: Three and five gallon water bottles,
certain food product bottles
Recycled products: Plastic lumber, custom-made products
Non recycable - resuable

32. It’s just another plastic bag!

33. Are there any problems or issues with using
carrier bags ?
Task 1 – in smalls group, list three advantages
and disadvantages of using carrier bags.
Task 2 – in your group consider two ways of
improving any problems that you have identified.

34. How many supermarket carrier bag does the
average shopper use to carry goods home every
week?
Supermarkets hand out 1.75 billion bags a year.
5 1215 20
How could this number be reduced? By using shopper bags, how many carrier
bags could we cut down on using in a year?
20 plastic bags a week x 52 weeks = 1,040Shopper
bags

35. 2 million mobile phones are expected to go on
the scrapheap during a Christmas period.
11 million people expect to get a new
mobile phone over Christmas in the UK.
What can be done to improve this?
What happened to your old mobile phone?
Just one more phone …it won’t matter.

36. Plastic and sustainability aspects.
Before we use plastic materials aspects for consideration
Plastic is a precious resource made
from oil. Because it is such a versatile
material, we use it a lot.
2. List 5 plastic products that no-one
should ever bothered making.
Working in small groups – discuss the
following and feed back to the class.
3. List 5 plastic products that would be
better made from a different materials.
1. List 5 products where plastic is the
best material to use.

38. Pacific Trash Vortex

40. Animals get
entangled or caught
in plastic and
mistake it for food
About 44 percent of all seabirds eat plastic
Over 100,000 marine
mammals and one million
seabirds die each year from
ingesting or becoming
entangled in plastic.
Problems for wildlife
Midway

41. Problems for wildlife continued…
Plastic Sponges:as the potential to transfer toxic substances to
the ~Plastics also act as chemical "sponges”
~"Plastic debris accumulates pollutants such as PCBs
(polychlorinated biphenyls) up to 100,000 to 1,000,000 times
the levels found in seawater."- NOAA
-Other pollutants include: DDT, organochlorine pesticides, BPA,
petroleum hydrocarbons
Plastic Degradation:
~Plastic can leach chemicals into the ocean when it degrades
~Animals eat the plastic debris with contaminates and the
degraded “sludge”

42. How Plastic Degrades
Photodegrade vs Biodegrade
-photodegrade= breaks down into smaller
pieces when exposed to sunlight
-biodegrade= breaks down into the
molecular compounds

43. Problems of Degradation
Most plastics photodegrade into smaller and
smaller pieces, but never fully biodegrade
As plastics degrade, it leaches chemicals into
the ocean
The animals that ingest the plastic or water
also ingest these chemicals, leading to
biomagnification

44. Bioaccumulation
- Bioaccumulation – “Bioaccumulation (or
bioconcentration) is the uptake of organic compounds
by biota [organisms] from either water or food. Many
toxic organic chemicals attain concentrations in biota
several orders of magnitude greater than their aqueous
concentrations, and therefore, bioaccumulation poses a
serious threat to both the biota of surface waters and the
humans that feed on these surface-water species.” –
Smith and others, 1988
-How species take in chemicals from their environment

45. Biomagnification
Biomagnification -
"Biomagnification is the
sequence of processes in an
ecosystem by which higher
concentrations of a
particular chemical are
reached in organisms
higher up the food chain,
generally through a series of
prey-predator relationships."
- Oxford University, 2008
-How chemicals work their way up the food chain, and
become more concentrated as they do

46. How does this affect us?
These toxic
chemicals make their
way up the food
chain to us...

47. Bisphenol A, BPA
•BPA is a plastic additive in clear, hard
plastic and aluminum can lining
•EU has deemed BPA a "toxic
substance" , and has banned it from
baby bottles

48. Effects of BPA on human and
animal health:
•Disrupts the endocrine system
o endocrine system produces hormones
 has been linked to obesity, thyroid dysfunction, and
cancer (just to name a few)
 Effects reproduction in animals and impairs
development in crustaceans and amphibians
 Superfeminization in mollusks
Superfeminization results in extra sex organs, enlarged
accessory sex glands, extra eggs released outside of
the normal spawning season,malformations of the
pallial oviduct and an increase in female mortality.

49. Solutions
individual:
•refuse plastic bags at the check-out counter – bring your own bag
•stop using bottled water – in most cases it is no safer than tap water
•clean up your local beach – many organizations host clean-up days
where you can volunteer to pick up trash
•seek products without unnecessary packaging and support local farmers
markets.
•keeping the conversation going is crucial to this issue – educate others
on a larger scale:
•extended producer responsibility
•plastic bag ban

50. Extended Producer Responsibility
• majority of ocean litter is plastic packaging
• companies should be responsible for reduction,
collection, and disposal of their packaging

51. Summary
• Plastic is made from petroleum, a non-renewable
resource
• It is hard to find a product that has not been touched by
plastic
• Plastic degrades to smaller and smaller pieces, creating
plastic soup
• Pacific Garbage Patch (1,6 square kilometers) is twice the
size of Texas. Spain measures 505,000 square kilometers.
• 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds die
each year from ingesting or becoming entangled in
plastic
• Toxic chemicals make their way up the food chain and
onto our plates!

52. World of Waste
Each group has to represent
through a daily life line the trash
generated by each member of
the group in the daily routine,
using images.