I figured that this would be a good day to explain how plastics can be used to “go green”.  Since this going green fad started, I had started to feel a little guilty about being in the plastics industry….Okay, so not guilty, but I did feel a certain unease about the whole thing. The facts are though, that not all plastics are “evil” so-to-speak. Some are necessary to assist in keeping the environment clean, and safe for you & your children. From the water you drink and shower in, to the air you breathe, plastics is helping keep it all clean and safe. How you ask? Read on!

Everyday you see chrome rims, chrome bolts, and plated pieces all over.  The process of plating is very chemical dependent. Those chemicals emit gasses that can get into the atmosphere if not properly scrubbed. Not to mention, they need to have a safe way to store the chemicals, right?

Well, plastics helps take care of both those tasks. In most plating facilities you will find Co-Poly tanks that hold the the harsh chemicals and keeps them from getting into the soil. Those tanks are hand fabricated by plastics fabricators specific to the application.  In addition to that, most plating facilities are required to line their floors with a flexible polyethylene material, to act as a safe guard to any leakage that may occur.

Secondly, where do those harsh fumes go?  The answer is that they typically head through a PVC or CPVC duct piping system that is custom created for their facility. Then, before it gets pumped out into the atmosphere, it is cleaned by a fume scrubber (which is typically made from plastic). This takes and cleans the air before its released out into the atmosphere. If that’s not “green” then I don’t know what is.

In addition to cleaning fumes and keeping harsh chemicals out of the groundwater, plastics are used all over the world in waste water treatment facilities. From the tanks that hold the chemicals, to the piping and valves that carry it through the system; plastic are everywhere.

Those are just a few applications as to how plastics are helping to keep the earth happy & healthy!

Have a great earth day!

-written by Blake Gjerdingen 4-22-2009

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