We have been learning about the progress of what happens to plastic bottles. I found it hard to finish my explanation. I liked learning about this because I've always wanted to know what happens to some of our recycling. Next time I could add more images.
Where does plastic bottles go?
Did you know that plastic bottles can be turned into the latest clothing trend? No? Well after reading this you'll know what actually happens.
The first thing that happens is that a factory takes in the bottles. The workers sort the bottles from clear to colored then they get shredded. This is because we usually leave a little bit of liquid left in the bottles, and that can ruin the quality of the plastic. They are wrapped in glad wrap and ship around the world to China.
Once they finally arrive at China the workers start to sort the shredded bits from clear to colored. The clear plastic is used for making white or dye able clothing, well the colored plastic is used to help make the white clothing. Now the plastic takes a special bath. The plastic sits in a bath so that the colored stickers are removed. Before they enter the bath a worker has to strain the lids out; it helps that the lids float. After the bath they get moved to a dangerous oven.
When the plastic gets put into the oven some of the colored plastics are mixed in with the clear plastic. This is to help make the clothing to become a lighter color. The plastic sits in the oven drying off for 10 hours. After the long wait there's a cart that catches the hot plastic. It is sent through a huge rotating screw that is 270 degrees C. The heat melts the plastic together. The liquid substances are sifted through a sift to make it more like a thread.
The thread isn’t strong enough yet. So they stretch the thread several times with heat applied. This bonds the fibers together and makes it stronger. After all of this painful process they tear the fabric apart again. This gets all of the fluff out, the fluff is what polyester is made out of. The workers ship that to another factory to help make polyester. The thread goes into a machine that hardens the material. Then into to a machine that softens the material. Finally the material is stretch one more time and combined to make a white cloth.
This is what happens to our plastic bottles. A painful process to make trendy clothes and white sheets. They get shipped around the world, shredded, melt and stretched. The workers work hard to make the clothes.
