How To Recycle Plastic – What You Need To Know

Plastics are labeled with recycling numbers 1-7, known as the resin identification code. The “chasing arrows” ♻ symbol on your plastic products doesn’t necessarily mean that the material is accepted in the local recycling stream, but the numbers inside the chasing arrows do.

Most Americans who recycle are used to curbside single-stream recycling where plastics, glass, metals, papers, cardboard, and junk mail are thrown out together in one bin. But if you’re just tossing every plastic thing in your bin, you may want to take a few more steps if you want to ensure you are making a positive impact with your recycling efforts.

When a single-stream recycling bin is picked up and taken to the waste station, the waste is sorted by hand, by actual humans. Plastics need to be easily recognizable for their ♻ number, and everything in the recycle bin needs to be relatively clean. Not totally spotless, but not dirty enough to cause contamination for those sorting our recyclables.

Plastic lids should be thrown away unless there is a recycling ♻ number on them. Putting plastics through a dishwasher cycle isn’t a bad idea, but they don’t have to be totally clean either.

Scrape out as much peanut butter as you can, then fill the jar about one-fourth full with water. Add a drop of dish detergent, put on the top and shake vigorously. Dump out the contents and the jar should be clean enough to recycle.

The Perils of Peanut Butter

Most of the food contamination in plastics, glass, and metals are burned away in the recycling process, but if you were to toss in a container of half-eaten yogurt and that yogurt got over your other recyclables, there’s a good chance that most or all of the recyclables surrounding the mess will simply be thrown away. If they make it past inspection, a couple of unnoticed dirty jars containing enough food could cause an entire massive batch of plastics to be disposed of instead of being recycled.

According to Rubicon, the average recycling contamination rate is 25%, or 1 in 4 items. And nearly 1,000 recycling plants in California alone have shut down within the last two years due to the recycling contamination crisis.

While most municipal recyclers accept plastics #1 and #2, many do not accept the other types of plastics. Also know that plastic films, plastic wrapping, and thin plastic bags can clog recycling machines. Call your local waste company and see what they accept. You may need to take your plastic bags and #5s to a Whole Foods or some other alternative site.

Number 1. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)

PET is short for polyethylene terephthalate, the chemical name for polyester. When PET is used for containers and packaging, it is referred to as “PET” or “PET resin.” When it is used as a textile, it is called “polyester.”

PET is one of the 3 plastics considered to be safe for food consumption. PET can be made clear or matched to any color. It has a lower risk of leaching and it’s durable. PET was first chemically made by DuPont in the 1940s while in search of new synthetic fibers. Despite its name, it does not contain polyethylene.

PET is considered a single-use plastic, but it is the most commonly recycled plastic. It’s often remade into bottles or polyester fiber. However, microplastics from polyester fibers are one of the biggest contributors to ocean trash as they come off of clothes in the washing machine and end up in the ocean. Currently, about 30% of this plastic is recycled in America, however, Europe is recycling more than 50% of this plastic. 

PET, when clean and uncontaminated, is recycled by melting or by chemically breaking down the resin to make new PET resin. Studies show that PET can be recycled around 10 times.

Almost every municipal recycling program in North America and Europe will recycle clean PET containers.

PET is the most widely produced plastic in the world. Its products include, but are not limited to, food and beverage bottles and jars (peanut butter, ketchup, salad dressing, water, soda, other beverages), fiberfill (heavy jackets, sleeping bags, and pillows), shampoo and soap bottles, chemical containers, household cleaner containers, carpet, electronics, clothing, rope and straps, automotive parts, construction materials, protective packaging, rigid cosmetic jars, microwavable containers, transparent films, food packaging trays, and blister packs.

Number 2. HDPE (High- Density Polyethylene)

HDPE is similar to PET, however, it is harder, more durable, long-lasting, has a higher temperature tolerance range, and does not breed bacteria as easily as PET plastic. HDPE can be flexible but not as flexible as PET. It was first discovered by a German scientist and then later chemically produced by DuPont in the 1950s.

HDPE is one of the three plastics considered to be safe for food consumption. The plastic is often white, but it can be translucent (not as see-through as PET) and it can be matched to any color. It’s usually opaque and is commonly found in milk jugs, butter, detergent bottles, motor oil, yogurt tubs, 5-gallon food buckets, shampoo bottles, pens, freezer bags, grocery bags, bottle caps, vehicle fuel tanks, helmets, and toys. HDPE is easily recycled. It is often recycled into plastic bottles, drainage pipes, plastic lumbar (picknick tables, vinyl flooring), traffic cones, trash cans, and other heavy-duty plastics. HDPE is melted or goes through a granulation process to reduce the plastic down to pellets and granules for later use. Studies show that HDPE, like PET, can be recycled around 10 times. A little more than 30% of HDPE plastic is recycled.

PET and HDPE make up 97% of all plastic bottles on the market in North America. These plastics are the easiest plastics materials to recycle.

Even though plastic grocery bags are made of HDPE, some municipal recyclers will not accept them and will simply throw them away.

Number 3. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) 

PVC, (also donated as “V”) is a type of vinyl that is popular because of its versatility. It can be flexible or rigid. PVC materials are common in schools despite containing phthalates, a chemical used to soften the plastic. Phthalates are banned in children’s toys. PVC is commonly recycled into paneling, flooring, cables, decks, and other durable plastic construction material, although only about 1% of PVC is recycled.  

PVC is becoming less and less popular for food containers, clothing, and toys as it is widely known to be toxic. Large companies like Nike, Walmart, and Apple (amongst others) have taken steps to ban PVC in their products. But PVC is commonly used in property construction applications like roofing and vinyl flooring, and PVC pipes usually make up a home’s waste/drainage plumbing. Medical plastics like blood storage bags, cable and wire insulation, and some toys are also made with PVC. It is not usually made to be food-safe. Plastic wrap was commonly made out of PVC, but in recent years LDPE plastic wrap has become the norm.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 910,000 tons of PVC waste are generated every year with less than 0.25% being recycled. #3 plastics are usually not accepted at local recycling agencies. PVC can be repeatedly recycled up to 8 times depending on the application. Here is a list of vinyl (#3) recyclers.

Number 4. LDPE (Low-density Polyethylene)

LDPE is a low-density, hard, flexible thermoplastic. It’s considered less toxic than other plastics. Though HDPE has higher tensile strength and a higher melting point, LDPE has high ductility and is considered very resilient (evident by its propensity to stretch). LDPE is often used to make squeezable bottles, trash bags, six-pack fasteners, paper coffee cups (the interior lining to make them waterproof), trays, wire coating, plastic film/wraps, and other flexible plastic objects.

LDPE also makes up those small clear bags you see at the grocery store for produce and bulk bins, and garment bags from the dry cleaners.

LLDPE (Linear low-density polyethylene) is the most flexible of the plastics. It is also used to make pond liners; those thick, fancy, supposedly reusable shopping bags at fancy stores; and plastic films that need a tremendous amount of strength.

LDPE was manufactured before HDPE in the 1930s. Like other plastics, LDPE takes hundreds of years to break down, but it is not always accepted at recycling plants because plastic wraps and bags get caught in machines. However, when it is recycled, it can be recycled into bags, trash liners, and floor tiles.

Only about 6% of LDPE is recycled. Check with your local waste authority to see if you can recycle LDPE, and you may want to specifically ask about the LLDPE bags if you accumulate those.

Number 5. PP (Polypropylene) 

Polypropylene was invented in the early 1950s and was widely used and manufactured by the late 1950s. PP is tough and lightweight and has excellent heat-resistance qualities. It is commonly used for medical bottles; yogurt, hummus, cottage cheese, and butter containers, bottle caps, some to-go containers, and other durable plastic products.

It is recycled into brushes, battery cases, bike racks, and many other plastic products, but only about 3% of PP is recycled.

Polypropylene is commonly not accepted at recycling plants, however, this is slowly changing. You may need to take your #5s to a Whole Foods or some other alternative.

Number 6. PS (Polystyrene)

PS includes foam-like plastics such as styrofoam drinking cups and take-out “clamshell” food containers, packaging material to keep fragile products safe, and some harder plastics like straws and disposable utensils. It is also used to make rigid foam insulation and underlay sheeting for laminate flooring. Polystyrene was first discovered in the 1830s but was not widely manufactured until the 1930s. 

Styrofoam products are among some of the most littered material in the US. In addition to being heavily littered, styrofoam is toxic. When heated up, styrofoam releases styrene, a possible human carcinogen, that is absorbed through the bloodstream. So while styrofoam is often used to keep hot foods and beverages warm, we recommend avoiding foods served in this kind of plastic.

Beaches all over the world have bits of polystyrene lapping at the shores, and an untold number of marine species have ingested this plastic with immeasurable consequences to their health

Plastics by the Numbers

Around 12% of PS is recycled. It’s more expensive and more difficult to recycle than other plastic products. Small plastics like straws and utensils are often not sorted out of recycling and end up in landfills. Larger PS materials are often sorted and sent overseas to be melted down or sorted again. Most curbside collection services will not take polystyrene. Polystyrene accounts for about 35% of US landfill material.

Number 7. Other 

Number 7 is a catch-all for leftover plastics, bioplastics, and other mixed materials. This includes everything from products that contain BPA to products that are compostable or biodegradable. Compostable products are made of organic matter. Biodegradable objects are intended to broken down by living organisms in a short amount of time, typically less than a year, within an aerobic environment.

Bio-based plastics are touted as “biodegradable,”, but there are caveats. The products may have components that are capable of degrading but the breakdown only occurs under specific conditions, and biodegradable plastics do not break down quickly enough in small compost piles. The material requires very high heat and lots time (compared to compostable), so biodegradable plastics can only degrade in commercial composting facilities that allow them. For more on #7 check out Which #7 Plastics are Safe?

Conclusion

All of the plastic ever produced is still on the Earth today, and 90% of said plastic has never been recycled. When plastics are not recycled, they end up in landfills and take hundreds of years (or more) to break down. If you’re looking for simple ways to reduce your plastic consumption, check out this article, Ways to Reduce Your Waste. 

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