How to Recycle Industrial Size Plastic Totes

Plastic totes of many sizes are useful for recycling and reuse.

Plastic totes are usually made out of plastic type 2--high-density polyethylene--and are easily recyclable. Industrial-size plastic totes have many uses and are well worth recycling. Throwing plastics in the garbage means they'll end up in a landfill and potentially leak toxins into the ground over time. Recycling them for reuse, or using them creatively yourself, helps the environment and protects natural resources.

Things You'll Need

• Phone

Instructions

1. Cover your outdoor plants or small fruit trees with an industrial-size plastic tote during bad weather such as hail or snow. Use string or a rubber band to hold the bag down around the root or trunk of the plant. Remove it after the inclement weather is gone.

2. Donate the totes to a local grocery store, school or plant nursery. They can use the totes for various projects, and stores and schools often have their own plastic recycling program.

3. Recycle totes traditionally through your curbside recycling, or by dropping them off at your local recycling center. Call the national Clean Up hotline at 800-253-2687 for information on your area's recycling programs.

References

• Organic Consumers Association: Do You Know What Plastic Recycling Symbols Mean?