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

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.
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%.