Should plastic be banned?

@carpediem Which plastic?

Not all plastics are salvageable.

The thermoplastics can be recovered, to some extent, and they are; but not "forever". A lot of the resulting "new" materials become things like supermarket carrier-bags and the rather low-quality imitation woods used for garden furniture and building-cladding. This class of plastics is that most common in the objects seen as litter or pollution: wrappings, bottles, rope products etc.

Sometimes the plastic product itself can be re-used once more, but this rare. One example is that of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which recovers some of the synthetic-material fabric from scrapped PPE to make into wash-bags and the like, to sell in its shop!

The thermosetting plastics including the synthetic resins used as castings, in fibre-reinforced materials, adhesives and some engineering paints; are not re-useable as themselves. The most you could do is granulate the solid and fibre materials to create fillers for other bulk-mix resin-based materials - I don't know if this is done.

@ArishMell I’m not a plastics expert and appreciate your knowledgeable comment. I don’t know which plastics can or should be recycled. I do know I’m more than willing to do my part. Especially items we all use every day

@carpediem Thnak you!

I know the subject only to a fairly general, lay level although over the years I have worked with various plastics including synthetic resins (the sort you cast, use for fibre-glassing, or make into special adhesives).

What you can recycle depends at household level on what recovery services you have in your area; and that can vary across the country.

These recoverable materials are all the "thermoplastics", i.e. those that can be softened and reshaped, or even melted and re-cast by heat. The eventual refiners mince the plastic into granules then melt and mould them into new products.

Even then recycling services tend to concentrate only on particular types, by their products. They typically include the bottles used for soft-drinks, shampoos and such-like; shop carrier-bags, and the moulded trays used for packing individual pies and cakes.The choice is set really by the recovery companies who buy the waste from the local authorities.

The manufacturers usually advise on the label about the type of plastic and if it can be salvaged - you might find, say, that a bottle can be but not its cap (different type of plastic). Alternatively or as well as labels, a recyclable item may carry the standard "Recycling" symbol printed or embossed on it, of small arrows following each other round a triangle. There may be a code-number next to it, but I am not sure what that means.

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To put it in context, as well as those plastics, all metals, expended batteries, glass, wood, paper and cardboard can all be salvaged; but whether you can help them on their way, and how, does depend on the public waste-collection services in your area. Some councils also collect garden waste and food waste; for turning into compost.

Advice on what can be salvaged locally, and how, should be obtainable from your local authority offices.

@ArishMell Here the supermarkets don't give you plastic bags anymore. People have to bring their handbags, reusable paper bag, etc like many years ago when our grandparents did.

@Pablok Good idea! The ones I use offer bags for sale, and some at least do include ones designed to last a reasonable time.