CHAPTER ONE. What Is Plastic?
Plastic is a material. We use materials to make things. We use plastic to make many things in many different shapes. We use plastic to make pens. bottles, CDs, and shoes. We make plastic knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks, too!
We make many different types of plastic. Some types of plastic are soft. A plastic watch strap is soft so we can put it on our wrist.
Some types of plastic are hard and strong. A plastic skateboard is hard and strong so we can stand on it.
CHAPTER TWO. Making Plastic
We can make plastic from oil. We get oil from under the ground.
We can get different types of liquid from oil. We use some of the liquids to make small plastic pieces. We use the plastic pieces to make plastic things.
In a factory, we make plastic pieces hot. Hot plastic is very soft. Then we can make it into different shapes.
How do we make plastic spoons? We make plastic pieces hot. We put the hot plastic in a mold. The mold has spoon shapes. The plastic gets cold and hard in the mold. Then we have lots of spoons!
CHAPTER THREE. Bottles and Boxes
We can buy juice, soda, and water in plastic bottles. Plastic bottles are strong, so they don’t break. They are light so we can carry them.
We use 1 Liter of oil to make four plastic bottles!
Many plastic boxes are transparent. They are transparent so we can see what’s in the boxes.
We can buy lots of food in plastic wrap. We can buy sandwiches, salad, and cake in plastic wrap. The food is in plastic wrap to stop it going bad.
CHAPTER FOUR. At Home
There’s lots of plastic at home. We use plastic to make many doors, window frames, and roofs. Plastic is strong, and it stops rain getting into our homes. Plastic pipes take rain water from our roofs.
We use some plastic to make fibers. We can make plastic fibers in different colors. We use plastic fibers to make many carpets and curtains. We make lots of clothes from plastic fibers, too.
We can make paint from plastic, too! We use it on the walls at home.
CHAPTER FIVE. Outside
We use many plastic things outside. We make plastic toys in many shapes and colors. We play soccer with plastic balls. We hit balls with plastic bats. We fly plastic kites. We use plastic kayaks. What plastic things do you use outside?
Plastic helps us to be safe when we are outside. Plastic goggles protect our eyes. Plastic pads protect our elbows and knees. Plastic helmets are light and very strong. They don’t break when we fall. They protect our head. Do you wear a plastic helmet when you ride a bicycle?
CHAPTER SIX. Plastic Waste
Every day, we throw away many plastic things. This makes plastic waste. Today, there’s too much plastic waste.
Some people burn plastic waste. This makes pollution. Pollution is very bad for us.
Some plastic waste goes in the ocean. Many animals live in the ocean. The plastic waste is very bad for the animals.
Some plastic things break into small pieces. Animals eat the pieces and they get sick. Some animals eat plastic bags and they get sick. Some plastic waste hurts animals, too.
CHAPTER SEVEN. Recycling Plastic
We can recycle old plastic to make new things. This is how we recycle plastic bottles to make T-shirts.
- We take plastic bottles to a recycling center.
- We take the bottles to a factory.
- We break the bottles into small plastic pieces.
- We use the plastic pieces to make fibers.
- We use the fibers to make T-shirts.
We recycle old plastic to make lots of new things. We recycle plastic bottles to make T-shirts, kayaks, chairs, carpets, and playgrounds. We recycle plastic bags and plastic bottles to make new bags and bottles, too!
We use ten plastic bottles to make one T-shirt!
CHAPTER EIGHT. Plastic Today
We use lots of oil to make plastic. We can’t make more oil. We use lots of plastic every day, and there’s too much plastic waste.
You can help. Don’t use lots of plastic bags. Don’t throw away plastic bottles. Recycle plastic bottles. Use plastic bottles to make new things, too.
There are plastic bottles in this boat! Can you see them?
Today, we can make plastic from plants, too. We use this plastic to make cups and bags. We don’t use oil to make this plastic. We can grow more plants to make more plastic!
