Recycle

Plastic is too valuable to waste. For every one plastic bottle that is recycled, three more are thrown away. That's too bad, because the demand for recycled plastic is higher than ever.

Most communities can recycle plastic bottles labeled #1 or #2. By "bottles," we mean any container a neck smaller than its base - even large screw top canister containers. Remember, lids, tubs, and plastic caps aren't recycled in most areas. Please check with your local recycling center.

In 2005, plastic bottle recycling reached a record high of more than 2.1 billion pounds in the United States, and the overall plastic bottle recycling rate climbed to 24.3 percent. While this is all good news, there is a tremendous opportunity to recycle even more - namely, the remaining 75.7 percent of plastic bottles used in this country annually.

When it comes to resourse conservation, recycling is one area where consumers can make a big difference. Before you pitch that empty water bottle into the trash, consider this:

• Every ton of plastic bottles recycled saves about 3.8 barrels of oil.


• Recycled plastic bottles are used to make hundreds of everyday products, ranging from fleece jackets and carpeting to detergent bottles and lumber for outdoor decking.


• Over 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a plastics recycling program, be it curbside collection or community drop-off centers, yet, in most areas, the demand for recycled plastics exceeds the available supply.


• In recent years, the number of U.S. plastics recycling businesses has nearly tripled. Today, more than 1,600 businesses are involved in recycling post-consumer plastics.

Source: American Chemistry Council, Plastics Division