Plastics Recycling - A Crash Course

Why can't I recycle all of my plastics?

  • Several economic, geographic and environmental questions need to be answered before new products are added to the Blue Box.
    How much of the product is there?
    How many companies buy the product and where are they located?
    Can the recycling trucks hold the extra material?

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  • With the addition of screw top Symbol 4 containers, you now have the potential to recycle more than 50% of the plastic containers in your home. The plastics we collect have secure long-term markets, are located within a reasonable distance and are generated in sufficient quantities to make recycling these containers practical.

What do those little numbers mean?

  • Sometimes a recycling triangle surrounding a number is stamped on containers. These symbols are part of the Plastic Container Code System. It was created to help make plastic recycling easier.

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  • The numbers ranging from 1 to 7 identify the type of resin a particular jug or bottle is made of. Sometimes, letters are also used to help further identify each plastic.

 

The chart below explains what the different symbols mean.


Symbol Name of Plastic Percentage of All Plastics Examples Acceptable In Blue Box?
Yes No
Symbol 1 polyethylene terephthalate 20-30% soft drink and water bottles Yes  
cookie trays and frozen food trays   No
Symbol 2 high density polyethylene 50-60% milk, juice, detergent and bleach jugs, shampoo and conditioner bottles Yes  
ice cream and margarine tubs, oil bottles  
Symbol 3 PVC polyvinyl chloride 5-10% vegetable oil, dish soap.  
Symbol 4 low density polyethylene 5-10% mustard bottles, cosmetic bottles Yes  
shopping bags   No
Symbol 5 PP polypropylene 5-10% margarine tubs, deli tubs and yogurt cups, bottle caps  
Symbol 6 polystyrene 5-10% foam coffee cups, meat trays, egg cartons and take-out food containers
No
Symbol 7 other plastics 5-10% ketchup and barbecue bottles Yes  

 

Aren't plastics the biggest part of my garbage?

NO!

  • Plastics seem to be a large portion of your waste stream for two reasons. First, most plastic containers are bulky so they take up a lot of room. Second, if you recycle your paper, plastics, glass and metal containers and compost your organic material, the waste that is left seems to have a high plastic content.

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  • By weight, plastics account for roughly 10% of the waste generated in the average home. This is about the same as metal or glass containers. In comparison, yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, etc) are 20% and paper products, accounts for 36%.


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