Recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Bottles as Whiteboard

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Plastic waste is a silent threat to the environment. It is also one of the most challenging problems in Kaylaway National High School. Eliminating plastic waste material such as PET bottles is a big concern of the school's waste management team. Another problem arises in our school is the shortage of functional chalkboard or whiteboard inside the classroom. The researcher comes up with the idea on shooting two birds with one stone, the use of PET bottles as possible materials in the production of whiteboard which could not only provide solution to one of the environmental problems, instead counterpart the problem with learning materials.

METHODS

Experimental method was used in this research. The materials used aside from PET bottles are oven toaster, white paint, iron molder and scissors. School's laboratory is also used as the research site. The procedures are; collecting and cleaning PET bottles, cutting PET bottles into small pieces, liquefying, solidifying and molding PET bottles and last applying paint to solidified Pet bottles.

RESULTS

PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles have a polymeric material that has the capacity of being molded or shape usually by the application of heat and pressure. Its special property such as low density, low electrical conductivity, transparency and toughness allow plastic to be molded into the desire materials such as whiteboard. The researcher did four trials. Each trial with different quantities of PET bottles and temperature came up with different outcomes. In the first trial, small pieces of PET bottles absorbed heat but does not change its form. In the second trial, pieces of PET bottles were squeezed and slightly changed its shape. In the third trial, pieces of PET bottles were melted but not able to compress. Lastly, at the fourth trial, pieces of PET bottles were totally melted and were able to reshaped and solidified as the shape of the molder.

DISCUSSIONS

Based from the results gathered, PET bottles can be liquefied, reshaped and molded into other product such as whiteboard through the application ofheat produced by the oven toaster with a temperature of 550 Ö ̄C. The heat conductivity of molder used in the study contributed to the success of the overall process. It was also proven that the property of the PET bottles of being malleable enables the desired whiteboard to be possible. Polymeric material present in PET bottles has the capacity of being molded usually by the application of heat and pressure.