The recycling of plastic waste reduces the amount of waste. In value-based recycling, the plastic is not changed itself, but melted and transformed into a new form. This is different with chemical recycling. In chemical recycling plastics are separated into monomers, and in thermal recycling, the plastic is burned to produce energy.
In this experiment, students will learn how plastic waste can be reused = recycled. They will melt samples of thermoplastics from everyday objects and mould them into a new shape. They learn that this process is laborious and that various prerequisites are necessary for it to succeed.
