Eli5 why are so few plastics recyclable? Why cant you just melt it down and reuse it like glass?
In: 468
Because they are really long chains of elements and when you start cutting up those chains their properties change.
The boiling point increases.
The boiling point decreases.
The chain breaks then it reforms back with another chain making a frankenplastic.
The chain breaks and reforms into rings. Or P’s, R’s, G’s. Basically, any knotty bendy twisty shape
All of these factors lead to a jumbled mess of molecules that eventually just seize up as a form of tar
Which…
Is just a really shitty thing to deal with.
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