11.8.2

Problems With Polymers

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Problems With Polymers

Polymers can cause many wastage problems because they do not biodegrade (break down naturally).

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Landfill sites

  • When plastics are added to a landfill site, the land becomes polluted.
  • We have to make new sites to bury plastics all the time.
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Combustion

  • When we combust (burn) plastics to generate energy, many toxic and acidic gases are released into our atmosphere.
    • For example, carbon dioxide is produced, which contributes to global warming.
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Difficulty recycling

  • Plastics can be difficult to recycle. There are many types of plastic and, before they can be recycled, they must be sorted in to their different types.
  • Once they are sorted, they can be melted down and reshaped.
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Expensive

  • All of these processes can be costly.

Jump to other topics

1States of Matter

2Atoms, Elements & Compounds

3Stoichometry

4Electrochemistry

5Chemical Energetics

6Chemical Reactions

7Acids, Bases & Salts

8The Periodic Table

9Metals

10Chemistry of the Environment

11Organic Chemistry

11.1Formulae, Functional Groups & Terminology

11.2Naming Organic Compounds

11.3Fuels

11.4Alkanes

11.5Alkenes

11.6Alcohols

11.7Carboxylic Acids

11.8Polymers

12Experimental Techniques & Chemical Analysis

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