You can recycle silicone at a lower environmental cost than many other plastics.
Additionally, recycling silicone makes sense ecologically since it preserves this toxin-free cosmetic.
When recycling silicone, you need to take care of it since the material is very fragile.
Here are some tips on recycling silicone made in the outdoors. Let’s start now!
Can You Recycle Silicone?
Contents
Silicone is a polymer with a wide range of applications in cosmetics, sealants and composites and resins.
It has a rubber-like feel to the palate and has a strong resistance to time and temperature extremes.
Silicone, like many polymers, is susceptible to degradation through hydrolysis and oxidation as well as thermal damage in a fire.
It may even be recycled to reclaim its initial polymer and reclaim the reusable elements.
It’s important to note there are many different types of silicone, and not all can be recycled.
When we speak about silicone recycling we talk about the recycling of amorphous and semi-crystalline silicones.
While silicone sealants are often composed of fully amorphous and semi-crystalline silicones, some sealants are made of purely crystalline silicon dioxide or entirely amorphous silicon rubber.
This is due to the materials’ different physical properties and abundance in consumer goods.
This may make recycling a sealant form that is more abundant than amorphous or semi-crystalline silicones more difficult, but it does not mean that it cannot be recycled at all.
Is Silicone Biodegradable?
Silicone is a linear polymer of repeating siloxane units.
Silicone is made out of elements not found in nature and therefore is not biodegradable.
Plastic, as we all know, is biodegradable, but plastic is made up of natural elements such as carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen – and other elements – which are found everywhere in nature.
This is due to silicone’s great stability in the natural environment.
It can also tolerate biological and chemical materials found in nature such as oxygen, water, and salts – and resist changes when put into contact with relatively mild acids or bases, as well as high temperatures and pressures.
Is Silicone Environmentally Friendly?
Silicone isn’t biodegradable, but it’s highly resistant to most chemicals found in nature.
So, although it does not immediately assist the environment, silicone sealants are certainly not detrimental to the natural environment, either.
Silicone takes a lengthy time to break down or even decompose.
Silicone is regarded to be stable under most conditions.
Furthermore, exposure to various chemical and biological processes does not produce any harmful effects on the natural environment, and it does not accumulate in the environment either.
Silicone is non-toxic to humans and is inert in nature, not hazardous or toxic to plants and animals.
Its resistance to the elements and to living organisms makes silicone a desirable material for a variety of applications in the outdoor.
This might be a positive thing for the planet, but for people like me who are looking for a non-toxic sealant, there are some other options out there like polyurethane, which is reported to be non-toxic and is alright for outdoor use.
Even if it takes a longer time to break down silicone sealants are not harmful to the environment at all.
Can You Throw Silicone Away in the Garbage?
You can throw that old silicone sealant in the garbage without a problem.
Silicone, unlike plastics, is inert and non-toxic in nature, and it does not break down in landfills or in nature’s systems.
However, just because you have thrown your silicone sealant in the garbage does not mean it is gone for good.
While silicone in a landfill won’t do much harm, the silicone chemicals do leach out over time and make their way into water supplies.
So, by recycling your silicone, you may feel that you are protecting the environment while reducing the amount of waste that will end up in a landfill.
How Do You Prepare Silicone For Recycling?
Mix the Recycled Silicone With Virgin Silicone
Silicone is available in one-pound packages at many hardware or home improvement stores that sell sealants and other chemicals.
However, before mixing the new silicone with the recycled silicone, you will need to grind the recycled sealant into small pieces first.
You must first grind the recycled sealant into small pieces before mixing it with virgin silicone.
One option is to putting the recycled sealant in a blender and mixing it until it is the consistency of pancake batter.
You may do this by pouring the ground sealant into a blender and blending it until it is as fine as pancake batter.
Use a Container to Shape the Recycled Silicone
Make a mold out of wood or metal using the ground-up recycled sealant as a filler material.
Recycled silicone may be poured into a mold that has been made of wood or metal and allowed to dry overnight to create a new batch of the sealant.
If you’re building a cake decorating mold, for a cake, for example, use wood for the mold and the recycled silicone and any natural filler, such as sawdust or ground up oatmeal.
This is dependent on the mold you use; make sure you check the manufacturer’s directions for the particular type of mold you are using.
Pulverise Silicone for Recycling
Gather the necessary materials with silicone for recycling.
Shred or crush the sealant into small pieces using a hammer or a metal coffee grinder.
Scissors, a knife, or a hammer may be used to cut or crush the recycled sealant.
If there is a lot of solid in the recycled plastic, you may need to funnel the mixed liquefied material into a container with a spout so that your head won’t clog up when pouring the liquefied mixture into a bucket or other container.
Use the Recycling Equipment
The silicone may melt if placed in high heat conditions or direct sunlight, so it should be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
You’ll need safety goggles for the hammering if you’re doing this with a hammer or scissors; be sure to wear appropriate clothing as well when you’re shredding or chopping the sealant.
To work with the material, wear gloves and a respirator if it’s necessary.
Silicon may be recycled back into the manufacturing process for use in all different types of products.
Recycling Silicone at Home
It is not feasible for manufacturers of all products to use recycled materials in their manufacturing processes, so the ability to recycle the silicone is beneficial in areas where there is an abundance of this substance in landfills or plastic material recycling.
The material includes too many toxic compounds, expensive materials, and other elements that can make it difficult to reuse in the manufacturing process.
Even if there are no silicone recycling centers in your area or in your town, you should contact local pick-up companies to work with.
How Do You Dispose of Silicone?
Re-purposing It
You should think before you throw something away.
You may build a variety or crafts using leftover materials.
The intriguing part is that you may not think that the stuff you want to get rid of can be turned into something great in your craft room.
Recycling It
Recycling is a way by which you can let the waste you have accumulated at the time of your cleaning go in an environmentally friendly manner.
Because silicone takes a long time to decompose in nature, it is best to use it for landfills and in recycling centers rather than let it seep into the soil and water systems.
It is preferable to keep silicone out of landfills as it could leach into the soil and pollute the groundwater.
As a result, it contaminates groundwater and can build up in the soil and water supply.
Fortunately, the recycling procedure is not very difficult at all and you can easily set it in motion with the help of your local pickup service.
Also Read: Can You Recycle Air Mattresses?
How to Reuse Silicone
While silicone is difficult to recycle and reuse, it can still be reused if you recycle it properly.
Following a few simple procedures, you can easily reuse it multiple times.
First, cut or grind the old silicone into small chunks and place them in a plastic bag before taking it to a recycling center.
The sort of silicon you’re dealing with may either be rigid or pliable.
Set your mold in for curing after you’ve completed all the steps required and allow it to cure completely.
Silicone is a durable substance that can be reused in multiple ways, but if it is not feasible to reuse it, then all you can do is opt for an environmentally safe disposal method.
You might grate it or shred it and then dump it in the landfills or by dissolving it in water and then pouring it down the sink.
Silicone may be used to protect sparks from jumping out from metal and electrical wires as well.
Silicone is stain-resistant and it is also immune to water so to clean your dishes and utensils made from this material just rinse them under hot running water.
Conclusion
Silicone may be recycled when it is hard and semi-rigid but if it has softened and is now pliable, it should not be used and has to be disposed of by opting for an environmentally friendly disposal method.
However, because of the product’s quality, it can be reused and recycled time and again by following the right procedure.
You should contact your local recycling center to enquire about the proper procedure of disposing of silicone in an eco-friendly manner.
