what i can recycle: plastics
May 9, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
- Plastics come in a variety of colors and chemical formulations – all with different recycling needs.The code number does not mean the plastic can be recycled. It is simply a way to identify the resin, or plastic, type.
- Different types of plastic must not be mixed for recycling. One reason is that the different resins have different melting points.
- Even a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can ruin an entire container or bale of recyclable plastic. Example: Most clear bottles are made of a Code 1 plastic, but some are made of Code 3 plastics. A single Code 3 item can ruin an entire bale of Code 1 recycling.
- The only way most people can tell the difference is by checking the code number on the bottom of the bottle.
- Remember to keep dirty containers out of your recycling bin. One partly-eaten pizza or leftover hamburger in a bale of plastic can spoil the whole load.
- Plastic grocery and produce sacks are commonly, but not always, made from plastic types 2 or 4. These bags are often collected in barrels at grocery stores, and usually end up as plastic lumber.
- PET plastic is the most common material used for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight, unbreakable and easy to recycle.
- It takes more than 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce a year’s supply of water bottles. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.
- Some plastics cannot easily be made into other products, or doing so is not economically feasible. If your local recycler doesn’t accept a particular type of plastic, it’s probably because the market for that resin is small or non-existent.
