Facts on Recycling Plastic Bottles

Some plastic bottles cannot be recycled.

Plastic is a useful material used in homes, cars and even medical devices. While it is very helpful in modern life, it should be recycled to avoid clogging our oceans and littering our neighborhoods. Most plastic bottles can be recycled, but some local curbside programs may only accept certain types of plastic. These types are numbered 1 through 7. Check with your local government to determine what plastic number(s) can be recycled in your area. To determine what type of plastic your bottle is, just look for a number 1 to 7 located inside a triangle, usually on the bottom of the bottle.

Types of Plastic

The different numbers correspond to what the bottles are primarily made of. Most plastic water and soda bottles are considered Number 1 plastics. Vegetable oil, salad dressing and mouthwash bottles are also usually Number 1. This type of plastic is made of polyethylene terephthalate and is the most common for individual size bottled drinks so it is typically accepted by all recycling programs.

Juice bottles, milk jugs, shampoo, motor oil and household cleaning bottles are Number 2 plastics, made up of high density polyethylene. These are usually recyclable through local programs, but some only take bottles with necks. Some home cleaning products, shampoo and cooking oil bottles are Number 3 plastics. They are made of vinyl or PVC. These are also recyclable through most curbside programs.

Squeezable bottles are generally Number 4 plastics, made with low density polyethylene. Traditionally, it has not always been accepted, but as of 2010, more curbside recycling programs are accepting it. Ketchup, syrup and some medicine bottles are considered Number 5 plastics. These are made with polypropylene and can be usually recycled. Medicine bottles are usually made with Number 6 plastic, a plastic made of polystyrene. These are sometimes recyclable through curb programs.

Number 7 plastics are the least likely to be acceptable through curbside programs. They are made with polycarbonates. The large three- and five-gallon water bottles (typically blue) are made from this type of plastic.

Dangers of Not Recycling Plastic

By not recycling, you would contribute to a large amount of waste. According to Earth 911, nearly 80 percent of all plastic bottles end up in a landfill and that plastic production accounts for 4 percent of energy consumption in America. On the other hand, by recycling just one bottle of plastic, enough energy is saved to light a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.

Benefits of Recycling

Recycling plastic conserves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves landfill space, helps meet the supply of recycled plastic and ultimately helps protect the environment. Recycling one pound of plastic bottles saves 12,000 BTUs of energy. If recycled plastic is used instead of virgin plastic, greenhouse gas emissions are dramatically reduced. By recycling plastic bottles, you help ensure that there will be more plastic available in the future because currently the demand for recycled plastics exceeds the available supply. For every one ton of plastic that is recycled, landfill space is reduced by 7.4 cubic yards.

Reusability

Plastic can be reused in many things. One surprising thing plastic bottles can be recycled into is clothing. Several eco-friendly designers use recycled water bottles to make fleece jackets, active wear and even high-end fashions. Plastic bottles can also be recycled into other plastic bottles, furniture, plastic lumber that looks like wood, and thousands of other every day products.

References

• Stanford University: Commonly Asked Questions--Plastic
• Earth 911: Facts About Plastic Bottles
• Earth 911: Benefits of Recycling Plastic Bottles
• The Daily Green: What Do Recycling Symbols Mean
• Natural Living For Women: Are You Buying Recycled Products