The German packaging ordinance is an example of legislated extended producer responsibility (also known as product take-back). Consumers can leave packaging with retailers, and packagers are required to pay for their recycling and disposal. It can be considered to be successful in reducing waste, spurring the redesign of packaging to be more…

This document comprises three progress reports for a 5-year environmental aging study aimed at establishing the lifetimes of magnetic tapes and the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) base of photographic and electronic film under archival storage conditions. The first annual report (1982) introduces the rationale for the project, provides…

This is an illustrated informative booklet, designed to serve members of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., and the plastics industry as a whole. It provides basic information about the industry's history and growth, plastics raw materials, typical uses of plastics, properties, and methods of processing and fabricating. (Author/DS)

Provides background information on polymeric films and membranes including production methods, special industrial and medical applications, laboratory preparation, and an experimental investigation of a porous cellulose acetate membrane. Presents a demonstration to distinguish between high- and low-density polyethylene. (JM)

Hobbs Window Insulation, an inexpensive polyester material, can reduce heat loss or gain through single-pane glass by 70 percent. The product is translucent, has an insulative value of R-3, and is easy to install and remove. (MCG)

This article shows how eight to fourteen year olds can make jewelry. (Author/MF)

Examines consumer education strategies for decreasing contamination in plastics collected for recycling. Discusses research that suggests the problem may not be consumers ignoring rules but rather that consumers appear to be adhering diligently to rules of their own invention. (LZ)

A study demonstrates the thermal degradation of two heat-sensitive polymers, namely, polystyrene and poly (methyl methacrylate). The experiment described in the study introduces undergraduate students to polymer structure as well as the application of spectroscopic techniques to the solution of structural problems.

This article discusses developments in food packaging, processing, and preservation techniques in terms of packaging materials, technologies, consumer benefits, and current and potential food product applications. Covers implications due to consumer life-style changes, cost-effectiveness of packaging materials, and the ecological impact of…

More than half of all chemists work on some aspect of polymers. For high school teachers who want to introduce polymer science basics, properties, and uses, this book is uniquely helpful--much deeper than simple monographs or collections of experiments, but much more accessible than college texts. Divided into four sections, Polymer Chemistry…