How to Recover Plastic Waste

Recovery of plastic is one way to help save the environment.

Plastic is a non-biodegradable material, which means that it cannot be composted into the earth. However, in order to contribute to the well-being of the environment, users of plastic can make the choice to recover the waste they collect and reuse or recycle that material. Recovering plastic waste is an important part of giving back to the earth until more viable solutions are sought out. According to the Environment Protection Agency, more communities, businesses and individuals are engaging in ways to reduce municipal solid waste through recycling plastics to produce new products.

Instructions

1. Clean out plastic milk bottles and other plastic containers with hot water.

2. Remove any labels that may appear on the plastic. Preparing the plastic for reuse will save recycling factories a lot of time and energy in preparing the plastic for the recycling process.

3. Separate your recycling products. Plastics differ in durability and plastic types. Thicker plastic such as milk and water bottles will undergo a different recovery process than softer plastics, such as plastic backing and plastic wrap used for sandwich meat and bread.

4. Bring your plastics to a recycling factory where it will be sorted and processed into new materials and manufactured into new products. Alternatively, check your community's protocols for curbside recycling.

References

• Environmental Protection Agency: Wastes -- Non-Hazardous Waste
• Environmental Protection Agency: Recycling
• Idea Connection: Non-biodegradable Plastic Waste