The right time to begin… reuse now – and again! [4.2 REUSE]

DOCUMENTARY OBJECTIVE

WRITTEN NARRATIVE PROPOSAL

Reuse of plastic wood and metal objects

Before starting to talk about the reuse of plastic objects, we must first talk about how important the presence of plastic is. Plastic is a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as the main ingredient. The polymer itself means “made up of many parts” or molecular chains. Its adaptability has led to its widespread use. But it is also very important to know how to recycle it. If we don’t do it properly it can go into the sea and pollute the entire Earth. Also, we can reuse plastic and create many useful objects. And if you can’t find a use for something, donate it! Not only will you reduce waste, but you will help others. Most people skip this step and go straight to recycling but reusing plastic can reduce the demand for new plastic to be created. Here are some ideas for reusing plastic items instead of throwing them away:

use an old bottle of water or milk to water the plants,
use bottle caps to create really cute mosaic objects,
plant flowers in bottles,
cut the deep part of the bottle and create a “tower where to put the jewels,
making a small chair by putting together many bottles.

A very valuable material is wood, as in woods and forests. It is important for photosynthesis: the process by which a plant produces water from water and carbon dioxide, and with the help of sunlight, releases oxygen, which is vital for us. So without trees there is no life. Woods are also an extremely important habitat and food for many animals (e.g. deer, giraffes, birds). A third example of the importance of trees is the prevention of erosion so that the roots hold the soil and prevent landslides. Another point is the prevention of climate change. Through the process of photosynthesis, trees use CO2, which is a greenhouse gas and causes ozone holes, which are conducive to global warming. Finally, in the summer months, the trees prevent the penetration of the sun’s rays into the ground and thus create shade of great benefit for humans and other living beings. Reuse of wood is therefore crucial in preventing the cutting down of new trees. Wood needs to be reused over and over again and this can be done in many ways.

Finally, metals are continuously recycled to be reused in industry and technological research. The reuse of ferrous materials starts out:

by separating metals collected on public land,
in industrial collection centers, and
waste incineration plants.

Proper disposal of old scrap requires meticulous separation of metal parts. Ferrous metals such as steel are isolated by use of magnets, while other metals such as aluminum are separated by electric current. Aluminum is reused to produce new objects or is reused in some parts of cars, public transport, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters (they can be made with 130 cans). It is also useful for industry and electricity (batteries, wires, electric generators, antenna towers), and reused in loudspeakers, radios and TVs, cell phones, telephone cables, remote controls, radars and utensils in the kitchen. Thanks to recovering and reusing ferrous metals and scrap, it is possible to cover the raw material needs of the steel industry and all those production sectors that use metals or alloys. Recycling allows to reduce the exploitation of raw materials in mineral form, guaranteeing a considerable saving of resources. So if you have old scrap that just needs space, don’t throw it away – make sure it’s disposed of properly. What is just useless waste for you, is a precious resource for others.