Don’t throw that water bottle away! Recycle it!

Have you ever wondered why most plastics are marked with a number from 1 to 7 inside a recycling symbol? The simple answer is that each number represents the type of resin made to produce the plastic. Because each resin is different, these numbers influence how that product can be recycled, though the most popular today are clear plastic drinking bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) #1 or milkjugs and soap bottles made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) #2 plastic. Plastics with codes #3 through #7 might be accepted as part of your recycling program, but these products are not easily recycled, and are often sorted out and incinerated. (An excellent chart explaining the differences between the types of plastics can be downloaded from earth911.com)

The first PET bottles were recycled in 1977, and since then, plastic bottle recycling has increased to more than 2.4 billion pounds annually. In fact, according to earth911.com,  more than 80 percent of communities across the nation collect and recycle plastic bottles, and in recent years, the number of U.S. plastic recycling businesses has nearly tripled. More than 1,600 businesses are now involved in recycling post-consumer plastics.

Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for up to six hours. And recycling one pound of PET plastic bottles saves approximately 12,000 BTUs (British thermal unit) of heat energy–that’s enough energy to bring about eight gallons of water 180 degrees from freezing to boiling. And, producing new plastic products from recycled materials uses two-thirds less energy than is required to make products from raw materials!

How are bottles recycled?
First, the collection center mashes their plastic items into large bales to simplify shipping. Bales can weigh from 800 to 1,200 pounds and may contain anywhere from 6,400 to 9,600 plastic beverage, food, and/or non-food containers. Caps are a different kind of material and cannot be recycled with the bottles, so remove them before you take your bottles to the recycling center.

Next, the bales are shipped to a plastics reclaimer who breaks the bales apart, sorts the plastics according to resin type and color, and then shreds them into tiny flakes. The flakes are washed, dried, and melted.

Melted PET plastic is then extruded into pellets that can be re-formed into new plastic creations. Sometimes, the material can be spun into thread and made into fabrics and carpets, or filling for quilts and jackets. Other plastics such as HPDE or PP resins can be made into plastic lumber and pipes, or blow- or injection-molded into new plastic containers and packaging. “The possibilities are endless!” says Tom Lauria, vice president of the International Bottled Water Association. (Click here to watch the informative youtube video which demonstrates the process.)

While all this is great news, an even better way to create a positive effect on the environment is to reduce your use of plastic packaging and bottles whenever possible. Earth911.com says Americans buy an estimated 29.8 billion plastic water bottles every year, and nearly eight out of every ten of those will end up in a landfill and never biodegrade. Refill your water bottle instead of tossing it, or even better yet, purchase a permanent stainless steel or aluminum bottle!

Creative commons plastic bottle images via Gracey and o0o0xmods0o0o at Morguefile.com

You can make a difference! Recycle your used printer cartridges & cell phones!
If you already recycle empty cartridges and used cell phones, you’re among a growing number of people who understand the benefits to the environment. What you may not realize is that your inkjets, toners, and cell phones are worth more than you think. Why not recycle them at eCycleGroup.com?

Tags: Recycling, Recycling And Tips, Video, YouTube