Facts About Recycling Bottles

Recycling is the process of taking used materials and making them into new ones to help prevent waste. With natural resources depleting and landfills filling up, recycling is a way to help the environment and cut consumer costs. Glass and plastic bottles are used by Americans on a grand scale. Recycling glass and plastic bottles is one way to help eliminate waste and save resources.

Bottle Usage

Americans use more than 2 million plastic bottles every hour. Most of these bottles are not recycled and are simply thrown away.

Long Time in the Landfill

Plastic bottles can take up to 1,000 years before they start to decompose. Glass bottles can take up to 4,000 years before beginning to decompose.

Types of Plastics

Thermoplastic polymer and thermoset polymer are the two types of polymers used in plastic bottles. Thermoplastic can be heated over and over again and reshaped, while thermoset loses its shaped when heated.

Breaking Down Bottles

Glass bottles can be broken down time and again and remade into new glass bottles. Plastic bottles are not remade into plastic bottles when recycled, but rather are remade into items like toys and textiles.

Energy and Environment Savers

More than 1 million barrels of oil are needed to supply bottles for a year's worth of bottled water. That number is equivalent to running 100,000 cars for a year. Recycling glass bottles can save nearly twice as much as it costs to incinerate the bottles.