Category Science

The oil we use to make plastic is running out. Oil takes millions of years to form so we need to use other materials to make plastic. We can all help to save oil by using plastics carefully.

New plastics can be made from these foods.

 Scientist are developing new plastics that are made from food crops such as potatoes, sugar, wheat, oats or even the shells of selfish. In the future our plastic will be made from these crops. These crops are renewable, which means they can be grown each year and will not run out like oil.

Continue reading “Plastic for the future”

Plastic can be recycled and made into something new. This helps to save oil. Recycling plastic is difficult because there are so many different types of plastic. Each type of plastic is recycled in a different way.

These plastics bottles have numbers printed on the bottom.

Different types of plastic need to be separated out before they can be recycled. Many plastic containers have a code number printed on them to show what type of plastic they are made from. This helps to sort the plastic out into different types ready for recycling.

Continue reading “Recycling plastic”

Plastic is a very useful material but it also causes problems. Plastic does not rot away. So if plastic bottles or bags are dropped as litter they stay there for a very long time. Plastic litter spoils our environment.

A lot of plastic is thrown away.

Every year we throw away millions of tonnes of plastic. Most of it ends up in landfill sites and is buried under the ground. Most plastics do not rot or break down so they will be there for a very long time.

Continue reading “The problem with plastic”

Plastic can be used to keep us healthy. Hospitals use plastic because it is clean and safe. Plastic tubes are used in hospital to give us medicine. Blood is stored in plastic bags. We are given injections with plastic syringes.

These teeth are made from plastic.

As people grow older, they may lose their teeth. If this happens, they can have new ones made from plastic. Plastic teeth are hard perfect for chewing. They are shaped to look exactly like our own teeth. Even better, they will never need fillings!

This plastic hand looks real.

Plastic is used to make artificial parts of the body such as legs, arms, hands and ears. They are made to look real and are used to replace those lost in accidents or through illness. Artificial legs help people to walk.

Plastic can help us move again.

When we get older, our joints such as the hip or knee sometimes wear away and become very painful. An artificial joint made from plastic and metal can be used to replace the damaged joint so that people can move again without pain.

Some of our clothes are made from plastic. Fabrics made from plastic are easy to look after. They do not get dirty very easily or need much ironing. Plastic fabrics last a long time and do not lose their shape and become baggy.

These threads are made from plastic.

Plastic fabrics are made by forcing hot, runny plastic through very fine holes in a machine. The plastic comes out in thin fibres which are used to weave into fabric. Fibres made from plastic are called synthetic fibres. Sometimes synthetic fibres are mixed with natural ones such as cotton.

These clothes are made from plastic.

A special type of plastic material is designed to be fireproof. This material is worn by firefighters and racing car drivers. Before it is used, the material is rested with a white-hot gas flame to make sure that it will protect whoever wears it.

Tents made from plastic cloth keep out the rain.

Fabric can be made waterproof by adding plastic. Some fabrics are just coated with plastic on one side. Other fabrics are put in a bath of plastic paste so that the paste soaks into the fabric.