How to Recycle Plastic Caps
Bottles and caps should not be recycled together because they are made of different types of plastic. Bottles are typically made of a lightweight plastic called polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is indicated by a "1" inside the triangular recycling symbol. Meanwhile, bottle caps are made of polypropylene. This plastic is denoted by a "5" inside the recycling symbol. It is much more rigid than PET and must be melted at a much higher temperature.
Before recycling a plastic bottle, you should remove the cap and throw it into the trash can. However, if you would still like to recycle bottle caps, you can do so by locating a company or institution that will accept them.
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Instructions
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Separate the caps you wish to recycle from their respective bottles.
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Determine whether the caps are made of No. 5 plastic. They may be marked by the No. 5 recycling symbol. Rigid, threaded caps--such as those found on water bottles, shampoo, soda and milk--are typically made of No. 5 plastic. Soft lids, such as those found on tubs of butter or cottage cheese, are not.
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Access the following Web site: http://earth911.com.
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Locate the search fields at the top of the page. Type "#5 Plastic (Polypropylene)"or "Plastic bottle caps" into the first field (titled "Find recycling centers for"). Type your location into the second field. Click "Search."
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A list of recycling centers and other locations that accept polypropylene caps will appear. Select the one most applicable to you and take your collected caps to that location to be recycled.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact the recycling location you select for specific information about how to properly recycle your caps.
Aveda is a major company that has a cap-recycling program. It intends to incorporate bottle caps into Aveda products. Call your nearest location to see if it participates in the cap-recycling program.
