You open a fresh bottle of water and chug it down within seconds. Letting out a satisfied breath, you throw it into the recycling bin with the others. But what happens after that? Where does all that plastic go?
While it normally isn’t certain whether your plastic water bottle will make it into the recycling process, it is known which plastics are most likely to.
If you look down at any recycled plastic, you may notice a number in the middle:
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a clear plastic used for water, soda bottles, and clamshell containers. PET bottles are relatively easy to sort. They’re also recycled more often - at a rate of about 30 percent - since 10 states refund customers between five and 15 cents for returning empties to the store..
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is an opaque plastic used in milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles. These are also regularly recycled at levels similar to PET.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a tough plastic commonly used for pipe and building materials. Many companies have phased out its use over concerns about toxicity. It is rarely recycled — and usually ends up in a landfill.
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a flexible plastic used for shrink wrap, bags, and toothpaste tubes. These can’t be recycled in the same facilities as curbside recycling— in fact, they can clog up sorting machines — but there have been nascent efforts to collect them separately at grocery stores. Most of them end up in landfills.
Polypropylene (PP) is used for yogurt containers and shampoo bottles. They have a limited recycling market. Most of them end up in landfills.
Polystyrene (PS) is typically used for packaging, often as Styrofoam, or in its rigid form in Solo cups and other containers. Because it’s very lightweight and often contaminated with food, it is very hard to recycle. Most of them end up in landfills.
The plastics are sorted into these sections
These first two have the greatest chance of being recycled. As the numbers near 7, the plastic combination gets more complicated, demanding more energy, time, and money. Many recycling companies have ended up dumping these plastics into nearby landfills or simply burning them.
“Overall, only about a quarter of waste is recycled, according to the EPA, and just 60 percent of communities in the country have access to curbside recycling pick-up.”
“And while it’s true that virtually any plastic can technically be recycled, that doesn’t mean it actually will be.” (pbs.org)
So is recycling worth the effort? Does it really benefit the environment if it takes up so much energy? Well for now it has its issues. Unless items are specially made to be recycled it takes a bit of work. Above all, this painstaking process can all be avoided if reusable items are used instead.
While it normally isn’t certain whether your plastic water bottle will make it into the recycling process, it is known which plastics are most likely to.
If you look down at any recycled plastic, you may notice a number in the middle:
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a clear plastic used for water, soda bottles, and clamshell containers. PET bottles are relatively easy to sort. They’re also recycled more often - at a rate of about 30 percent - since 10 states refund customers between five and 15 cents for returning empties to the store..
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is an opaque plastic used in milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles. These are also regularly recycled at levels similar to PET.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a tough plastic commonly used for pipe and building materials. Many companies have phased out its use over concerns about toxicity. It is rarely recycled — and usually ends up in a landfill.
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a flexible plastic used for shrink wrap, bags, and toothpaste tubes. These can’t be recycled in the same facilities as curbside recycling— in fact, they can clog up sorting machines — but there have been nascent efforts to collect them separately at grocery stores. Most of them end up in landfills.
Polypropylene (PP) is used for yogurt containers and shampoo bottles. They have a limited recycling market. Most of them end up in landfills.
Polystyrene (PS) is typically used for packaging, often as Styrofoam, or in its rigid form in Solo cups and other containers. Because it’s very lightweight and often contaminated with food, it is very hard to recycle. Most of them end up in landfills.
The plastics are sorted into these sections
These first two have the greatest chance of being recycled. As the numbers near 7, the plastic combination gets more complicated, demanding more energy, time, and money. Many recycling companies have ended up dumping these plastics into nearby landfills or simply burning them.
“Overall, only about a quarter of waste is recycled, according to the EPA, and just 60 percent of communities in the country have access to curbside recycling pick-up.”
“And while it’s true that virtually any plastic can technically be recycled, that doesn’t mean it actually will be.” (pbs.org)
So is recycling worth the effort? Does it really benefit the environment if it takes up so much energy? Well for now it has its issues. Unless items are specially made to be recycled it takes a bit of work. Above all, this painstaking process can all be avoided if reusable items are used instead.