Water Bottles Make a Change - Coursework Example

Junk Food Name: Institution: Date: Water bottles make a change According to world Health organization (2009), plastic is the most useful and the most popular material in the world in the twenty-first century. The use of plastic currently is 20 times more than it was used in the past fifty years. Nevertheless, plastic materials can be reused by recycling as many times as possible. Recycling of the plastic materials save the environment by reducing pollution and can also be a source of income. Since recycling is a major issue in the twenty-first century, various organizations as well as individuals with good will have decided to boost plastic bottle recycling for us to live in a better environment and for the next generation (Ackerman, pg 27). However, for the environment to be safeguarded we should all have a part in recycling. This research aims at investigating how to utilize plastic water bottles to something that is important to human and animal lives. The chosen topic is important to me as an Emirati in that there are many plastic bottles in United Arab Emirates that can be recycled and be used to benefit me and the society at large (Geiger, 41). There are various artists in the world that have utilized recycled bottles in their art work to empower the society towards recycling used plastics. A good example is Richard Sowa who has utilized recycled plastics to develop an island in Mexico that has attracted thousands of tourists. This is a clear indication that recycling of plastic materials can lead to development of useful materials that are environmental friendly and at the same time can make an individual to earn a living. The tourists under the creativity of Richard Sowa pay when they attend the island and the government collects tax from them (Kimberly, 19). These plastic materials causes soil pollution if not reused as research indicates that they can stay in soil for over three hundred years. Another example of an artist that utilizes the use of recycled plastic materials is Artist Aurora Robson who transforms discarded plastic materials into beautiful pieces of Art (Marc Lallanilla, 34). She has created job opportunities for the street people by paying them to collect all disposed plastic bottles sin the streets. She also collect her own plastic bottles that she uses in her home and from the neighborhood and use them to create some beautiful art materials thus making people to be aware in the society that trash can be transformed to some things that are mythical (Winkler, 27). Robson uses non toxic water based colors when developing her Art materials from plastics to ensure that the environment is not polluted in any way. As a matter of fact, old plastic materials which if not recycled are none-biodegradable can still impart a fresh aesthetic through artistic work. Garth Britzman has created Smart Park as a canopy in collaboration with university of Nebraska. Through his work, an intriguing environment is created where an individual may explore the surface of the plastic bottles (Kimberly, 23). This is a good way of re-using plastic materials in a more creative way thus saving the environment. As designers, all these individuals have used plastic materials that could pollute environment to generate income and to empower the society through their works of art. There are many organizations all over the world that recycle water bottles to bottles. However, there are some organizations that recycle the water bottles into other materials such as necklaces. Other organizations recycle plastic bottles to develop aesthetic materials which are a million dollar business. A good example of an organization that recycles plastic bottles to other materials is Philippine company called Liter of Light. This company has transformed the lives of many people in Philippines especially the street people. They pay the street people to collect plastic bottles in all the major towns. In manila alone, this company collects more than one thousand tons of plastics a day (Geiger, 43). The people who collect are paid some good amounts of money. The skilled employees work in the industry to design materials from the plastics. This is a clear indication that such organizations have created job opportunities by recycling plastic bottles that could pollute the environment and turning them into useful materials. The other organization that recycles plastic into bottles is ECO-Brick. This company also uses old plastics to make Eco-bricks because plastics are made from petro-chemicals. Since such chemicals does not fit into the environment, this company decides to recycle plastics by making bricks in that they are not used by humans directly unlike the plastic bottles. An example of an organization that funds the recycling of plastic materials in Europe is Recovinyl. This company has improved the collection of waste materials in Europe and the main waste product dealt with this company is the plastics. It provides financial incentives to sustain the collection of PVC materials (Antonia, 36). This organization is also backed by the British Plastics Federation ensures that all the plastic materials from various garbage collection points are recycled to take care of the environment. Both governments and None-governmental organizations’ have been concerned on recycling of plastics due to the danger they pose to the environment and because it is a source of employment to people. Although there are several Artists and companies who are recycling plastic bottles into more useful materials, plastic is still a threat to the environment. Research indicates that plastic is the leading soil and water pollutant (Shoush, 9). The designers and the organizations that utilize the plastic bottles to manufacture other useful materials must use environmental friendly means to convert plastic materials to the end products in that they can still pollute the air in the process (Zeid, 37). Most of the organizations that recycle plastic materials collect them from the main dumpsites as wastes from thermoforming. Research indicates that 300,000 tonnes of plastics are recycled annually. Recycling of plastic materials is currently the leading waste management system in the world and it has brought the community the great deal of environment neatness and cleanliness (Ackerman, 32). Since individuals are employed to collect all the plastic bottles that can be recycled by organizations like those in Philippines, the accumulation of garbage in the area has been reduced. In some parts of Africa and Asia where plastic materials are not recycled, the environment has been polluted and hence the NGOs and the WHO have decided to fund some organizations to collect and recycle plastics (Shoush, 32). Recycled plastic materials are very useful in that they can be used to manufacture other materials that can be sold and be used. Recycling plastic materials can help United Arab Emirates to create job opportunities for the youth and the people who live in slums. They will also help to conserve the environment. The recycled plastic materials can also be used to build schools in UAE. However, there are regulations set on the use of recycled plastic materials especially for food contact use (Geiger, 35). The recycled plastic materials have some chemicals that can be harmful to humans. The governments and the none-governmental organizations follow these rules with an aim of creating a more efficient and practical system for the use of recycled materials. In conclusion, the plastic bottles can be recycled and be re-used several times. Recycling of plastic bottles is essential to the environment in that plastic material unlike other materials stay for a very long time thus pollute soil and water. There are various Artists that have recycled plastic bottles to more useful materials that can be sold and earn a living. There are also organizations that recycle plastic bottles and empower people to recycle plastic bottles to safeguard the environment. However, companies wishing to use recycled plastic materials need to gain approval from the European Food Safety. Bibliography Ackerman, Frank. Why Do We Recycle: Markets, Values, and Public Policy. Washington, D.C.: Island, 1997. Print. Antonia Halse. "Michelle Brand’s Stunning Plastic Bottle Chandelier." Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World. N.p., 10 Jan. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. . 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