Tips on Recycling Plastic Bottles

It seems our thirst for the drinks in plastic bottles cannot be quenched. From plastic containers of soda, juice, and energy drinks to the most ubiquitous, water, plastic bottles are everywhere. We all know the benefits of recycling plastic bottles, but the varied regulations addressing recycling programs can be a little confusing.

According to the Container Recycling Institute, “More than 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills and incinerators every day.” What’s more, plastic bottles take hundreds of years to decompose.

These billions of bottles are destined for the landfill unless conscientious consumers are committed to recycling them.

Here are a few tips as you navigate the plastic bottle conundrum:

• Use as few of these bottles as possible—Plastic bottles are made from a petroleum derivative, and therefore reusable bottles are a much better alternative.
• Check the code—Each plastic bottle is marked with a recycling code numbered one through seven, which tells you what type of plastic it is and whether or not you can recycle it. Almost all recycling programs collect plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or PET) or high density polyethylene (HDPE). These are plastics numbers one and two.
• Consolidate trips to the drop-off center and find one as close to you as possible to minimize fuel use. To find a recycling location in your area, use Earth911’s recycling locator.
• Know the rules—The types of plastic you can recycle largely depends on where you live. If you have a curbside recycling program, you can contact your local sanitation department or public works office to find out what plastics are allowed.
• Remove the cap—Unless the caps are marked with a code, most of them are made with a different type of plastic, which may not be recyclable.
• Exercise patience—If you choose to buy a plastic bottle and find yourself somewhere that does not recycle, crush the bottle down and carry it with you until you can find a recycling bin rather than trashing it.
• Buy recycled—Support recycling by looking for products labeled “made with recycled content;” those labeled “made with post-consumer recycled content” are products that have been made with materials that have been used, as opposed to materials generated from manufacturing waste that never reached consumers.