PLASTICS: Did you know that many of the plastic containers in your refrigerator, bathroom, utility closet, pantry and shed can be recycled but are not collected by the majority of city/county recycling programs? This is because only specialized recycle centers accept these type of plastics and it is too costly for city/county recycling to administer.

But ACT Green is taking on this challenge with great excitement!

All plastics containers have a number on the bottom of them ranging from 1-7. This number indicates what type of plastic it is made from.

Open your fridge and look at the bottom of containers. The plastic shaker for parmesan cheese has a 1 on it. Sour cream has a 5. Baby food containers have a 5 and baby bottle disposable liners have a 4. The disposable plastic Tupperware/Glad and bakery plastics etc have a 5 on it. Plastic lids have a 4. Yogurt has a 7. Mayo containers are a 1. Peanut Butter is a 7. But don’t stop at the fridge, look in your pantry, laundry room, bathroom and under the sink. The list goes on and on, in addition to PVC pipe and many other plastic materials including storage bins.

In order for these plastics to be recycled they MUST BE RINSED THOUROUGHLY by the consumer first. Easy reminder: If it can not be rinsed out, then it is not recyclable.

These plastics are recycled and used for many new items such as carpet, benches, fencing and much more.

The confusion over what we can and cannot recycle continues to confound consumers. Plastics are especially troublesome, as different types of plastic require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material. Some municipalities accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others only accept jugs, containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on their bottoms.

Recycling by the Numbers
The symbol code we’re familiar with—a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a triangle of arrows—was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers.

The numbers, which 39 U.S. states now require to be molded or imprinted on all eight-ounce to five-gallon containers that can accept the half-inch minimum-size symbol, identify the type of plastic. According to the American Plastics Council, an industry trade group, the symbols also help recyclers do their jobs more effectively.

Easy Plastics to Recycle (1,2)
The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets. It can also be used to make bean bags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles.

Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene plastics. These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo and motor oil. Plastic labeled with the number 2 is often recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope. Like plastic designated number 1, it is widely accepted at recycling centers.

Plastics Less Commonly Recycled (3,4,5) 
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and even some baby bottle nipples, gets number 3. Like numbers 4 (wrapping films, grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of low-density polyethylene) and 5 (polypropylene containers used in Tupperware, among other products), few municipal recycling centers will accept it due to its very low rate of recyclability.

Another Useful Plastic to Recycle (6)
Number 6 goes on polystyrene (Styrofoam) items such as coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing “peanuts” and insulation. It is widely accepted because it can be reprocessed into many items, including cassette tapes and rigid foam insulation.

Hardest Plastics to Recycle (7 or no number)
Last, but far from least, are items crafted from various combinations of the aforementioned plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. Usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all, these plastics are the most difficult to recycle and, as such, are seldom collected or recycled. More ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to the local waste stream, and instead put the burden on the makers to recycle or dispose of the items properly.


What you should really know about plastics and recycling

STEEL CANS AND WIRE HANGERS:  We rely on steel cans for packaging our food in durable, tamper-resistant, shelf-stable containers. We reach for them on cold winter evenings when we need a cup of soup. We empty their contents into dog and cat food dishes for our pets. We even polish our furniture and paint our homes with their contents. You may not realize it, but you probably use at least one steel can every day.

The familiar "tin" can has been part of our society for more than a century. Steel cans package a variety of products, including fruits, vegetables, soups, sauces, meats, condiments, juice, pet food, cleaning products, paint, shoe polish, adhesive bandages, coffee and even cookies. Steel cans are also something else -- recyclable. And they have the potential to be recycled over and over again into new steel products.