Apparently "plastic lumber" is one of the more common things that plastic can be recycled into. Humans, Animals, The Environment, The Economy & Space. ), play sets, new bottles, buckets, containers, frisbees, and stadium seats. Plastic as a material itself has many pros and cons to consider, PETE/PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) – can be repurposed to make textiles, carpets, pillow stuffing, life jackets, storage containers, clothing, boat sails, auto parts, sleeping bags, shoes, luggage, winter coats, HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) – can be repurposed to make plastic crates, lumber, fencing, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) – can be repurposed to make flooring, mobile home skirting, LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) – can be repurposed to make garbage cans, lumber, PP (Polypropylene) – can be repurposed to make ice scrapers, rakes, battery cables, PS (Polystyrene or Styrofoam) – can be repurposed to make insulation, license plate frames, rulers, Miscellaneous Plastics (polycarbonate, polyctide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass, and nylon) – can be repurposed to make plastic lumber (which is often used in outdoor decks, molding, and park benches, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) – can be turned into food-contact-approved recycled PET (RPET). Plastic bottles that aren’t recycled take, on average, 450 years to biodegrade in landfills. shampoo bottles) – recycled into other bottles, plastic lumber, Polypropylene (e.g. The plastics recycling industry is now recommending that consumers replace caps and lids on plastic bottles and containers they recycle. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. America's Plastics Makers SM © 2011-2021 American Chemistry Council, Inc. All Right Reserved. Bottles used for laundry detergent and personal care products such as shampoo and soap are all recyclable. Team Timbuktu is a … Agricultural plastics have been successfully recycled into much larger products for industrial applications such as plastic composite railroad ties. It cushions your TV set and protects your video game console as they move from the factory to the store to your home. Conveniently, plastic bottles and polyester thread are actually made of the same substance - polyethylene terephthalate. There the plastics are cleaned, washed, and ground into flakes. It takes only 14 bottles to create enough insulation (fiberfill) for a ski jacket. meat packing) – recycled into CD cases, office accessories, Low-Density Polyethylene (e.g. What can they become? More often, they’re used to make car parts, clothing, shows, pens and more. 25 recycled 500-millilitre (17.6-ounce) bottles can make one fleece jacket and five two-litre (0.44-gallon) bottles can be turned into 0.09 square metres … The flakes are dried, melted, filtered, and formed into pellets. Home » Information Guides » What Can Plastic Be Recycled Into (& Reused/Repurposed For)? Home - Consumers - Kids Recycling - What Plastics Can Become. plastic bottles) – recycled into stuffing for pillows, carpet backing, and even certain types of sweatshirts, High-Density Polyethylene (e.g. You links in the sources list provide more information on the recycling of different types of plastic and plastic products. Empty and rinse bottles. HDPE (#2 Plastic) – can become toys, piping, truck bed liners, and rope. This process is costly and lacks market viability. Plastic #4 (LDPE) – Products made using LDPE plastic are reusable, but not always recyclable, Plastic #5 (PP) – Polypropylene is recyclable through some curbside recycling programs, but only about 3% of PP products are currently being recycled in the US, Plastic #6 (PS) – Recycling is not widely available for polystyrene products. How to recycle plastic bottles. Plastic #3 (PVC) – less than 1% of PVC material is recycled. A small number actually become plastic bottles again. Forbes.com: “[the reality is] many plastics simply cannot be effectively recycled. Optimising the lifespan of plastics by re-using and recycling items as many times as possible, for example, by recycling used plastic bottles into new ones, we can therefore reduce our need to create new plastic. Countries With The Most Expensive, & Cheapest Electricity Prices (Electricity Prices Around The World), Most Common Types Of Waste Found In Landfills (What’s In Landfills), Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, GDPR & CCPA Notice. Recycled EPS is also used in many metal casting operations. Thanks to new recycling technologies, we can now turn plastic bottles into soft, polyester thread to make eco-friendly clothing. Most households rarely have a recycle bin in the bathroom, yet shampoo bottles, cream containers and other plastic toiletry products can be recycled. Plastic bottles for soft drinks, juice and water are a handy way to conquer thirst …and they don’t shatter if you drop them. Even the most recyclable plastic, PET – or polyethylene terephthalate – is only recycled at a rate of 20-30%, with the rest typically going to incinerators or landfills”. If everyone pitches in, we can do even better. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This is a short guide outlining the potential re-use and repurposing applications of recycled plastic. If nozzle heads on spray cleaners contain … But these properties can be recovered by mixing it to additives or virgin plastic. This website uses cookies (view the Cookies page in the footer for more info). This … "They can be made into carpet, clothing, plastic packaging," as well as other products, Pochiro told Live Science. Today there are thousands of grocery and retail stores to collect these bags for recycling, including most Target, Walmart, Lowes, Safeway stores and more. When plastic bottles are recycled they can be made into lots of things: t-shirts, sweaters, fleece jackets, insulation for jackets and sleeping bags, carpeting and more bottles. rulers) and other durable plastic products, PS (polystyrene) – most PS products are not recycled due to the lack of incentive to invest in the compactors and logistical systems required. And remember that at all these places, we also can recycle lots of the plastic wraps that protect the things we buy (even bubble wrap!). There is roughly only 10% of all recycled PET that is pristine enough to make it into a new plastic bottle. These are sent to a manufacturer to be heated and remolded into a new product. Well, … According to Hossain's UTA web page, each recycled pin utilizes about 500 plastic soda bottles. Replace lids and tops. When plastic bottles are recycled they can be made into lots of things: t-shirts, sweaters, fleece jackets, insulation for jackets and sleeping bags, carpeting and more bottles. These cookies do not store any personal information. Plastic bottle caps can be recycled into batteries for your car, garden rakes, storage containers, reusable shopping bags, yarn, ropes, brooms … and more bottle caps. There are many other natural fibers, such as organic cotton and hemp, that can be used as clothing instead of plastic. Different types of plastics, and different plastic products, can be recycled and repurposed for different uses and applications, Not only does the type of plastic, or the type of plastic product matter for repurposing, but, a city’s recycling facilities can determine how plastics and which plastics can be recycled too (because different cities have different recycling technology with different capabilities). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It can also be used to make beanbags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles. You will see a number between 1 and 7. There are a number of articles explaining what plastics (such as recovered ocean plastics) can become after recycling at https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/plastics-recycling/what-happens-to-recycled-plastics/. Most curbside collection services will not accept polystyrene, which is why this material accounts for about 35% of US landfill material, Plastic #7 (Other – BPA, Polycarbonate, LEXAN) – #7 plastics are not for reuse, unless they have the PLA compostable coding, 1. https://www.recycleandrecoverplastics.org/consumers/kids-recycling/plastics-can-become/, 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_recycling, 3. https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/promo-university/different-types-of-plastic.htm, 4. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/the-different-types-of-plastic-how-many-there-are-what-they-are-most-commonly-produced-what-they-are-used-for-which-types-can-be-recycled-more/, 5. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/what-plastics-can-cannot-be-recycled-how-to-find-out/, 6. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/the-pros-cons-of-plastic/, 7. https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/how-is-it-recycled/plastics, 8. https://www.thisisplastics.com/environment/the-potential-of-recycled-plastics/, 9. https://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/recycle/whatrecyclablesbecome.html, 10. https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottsnowden/2019/05/14/scientists-create-a-plastic-that-can-be-recycled-indefinitely/#3d3c9781619c, 11. https://www.thoughtco.com/recycling-different-types-of-plastic-1203667, 12. https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/plastics-recycling/what-happens-to-recycled-plastics/, 14. https://www.alive.com/lifestyle/plastic-pros-and-cons/, 15. https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/plastics-by-the-numbers/. Innovative recycling programs can take foam packaging and turn it into plastic products such as insulation, picture frames, building products for your home … and more foam packaging. Check out some other fun facts about plastic bottle recycling. Recycled plastic bottles can be turned into all sorts of useful things, not just new plastic bottles. For example, the flakes made from melting plastic can be spun into a fine polyester fibre, which can be used to make fleece clothing, carpets and duvet filling. Not only is it eco-friendly, but GreenCA.gov also lists a variety of other reasons why a deck made out of recycled plastic is great. It takes 63 bottles to make a sweater. Bottle Caps … can become batteries for your car, garden rakes, storage containers, reusable shopping bags, yarn, ropes, brooms … and more bottle caps, Foam Packaging … can become plastic products such as insulation, picture frames, building products for your home … and more foam packaging, The most commonly recycled plastics are #1 (soda bottles) and # 2 (milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles), #1 Plastics (plastic bottles) can become carpet, backpacks, polar fleece, sleeping bags and ski jacket insulation, #2 Plastics (plastic milk and juice bottles, and plastic detergent bottles) can become plastic lumber (like decking, docks, etc. Myth: Hoses, tanks, shower curtains, swing sets, etc. Plastic is a popular and highly versitile material, and we use a lot of it. Plastic caps on bottles help your soda stay fizzy and keep out nasty stuff like bugs and dirt. Sustainable activewear. We use plastic bags to carry home groceries. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. To solve these problems, people have worked together to develop a process to recycle plastic bottles and convert them into other useful items, including clothes, furniture, fences, and new plastic bottles, bags, and containers. Depending on the kind of plastic, recycling might give a product new life as fiber for clothing, carpeting, car parts, or strapping. Other applications include strapping tape, injection-moulded engineering components and building materials, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) – can be recycled into new HDPE pipe, but can also be downcycled into plastic timber, tables, roadside curbs, benches, truck cargo liners, trash receptacles, stationery (e.g. PVC (#3 Plastic) – can be ground up and reused to make vinyl flooring, window frames, or piping, LDPE (#4 Plastic) – can become thin, flexible plastics like wrapping films, grocery bags, sandwich bags, and a variety of soft packaging materials, PS (#6 Plastic) – the non foam PS can be reprocessed into many items, including rigid insulation, Polystyrene (e.g. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Is Recycling Good Or Bad For The Environment? The right thing to do is put the right recyclables in the recycling container and non-recyclables into garbage containers. What Can Plastic Be Recycled Into (& Reused/Repurposed For)? (Or, you can make a little one out of a soda bottle!) Left over foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables and if bottles contain liquid they may not be recycled as deemed too heavy by … Plastic foam packaging actually is made up of more than 95% air! Beverage companies tend to use only a small amount of recycled plastic in their new bottles (if any), because unlike virgin plastic, 100% recycled plastic is not translucent. If they stay on the container they will get recycled. This means we can: conserve non-renewable fossil fuels (oil) Let’s take a look at some of the everyday plastics that you use and what they can become. PET (#1 Plastic) – can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags, and life jackets. The most commonly recycled plastics are #1 (soda bottles) and # 2 (milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles) #1 Plastics (plastic bottles) can become carpet, backpacks, polar fleece, sleeping bags and ski jacket insulation #2 Plastics (plastic milk and juice bottles, and plastic detergent bottles) … What Is The Most Sustainable Meat To Eat? Ecologycenter.org: “The plastics industry rarely uses recycled plastics in the vast majority of their products, unlike the glass and metal industries”. Plastic bottles are made out of HDPE – high density polyethylene – which is identified as the number “2” in the recycling triangle. It takes about 10 bottles to make enough plastic fiber to make a cool new t-shirt. Bottles and containers used for milk, shampoo, laundry detergent and household cleaners are lightweight and tough – but they usually are made from a different type of plastic than beverage bottles. When they are recycled they can make new bottles and containers, plastic lumber, picnic tables, lawn furniture, playground equipment, recycling bins and more. most bottle tops) – recycled into ice scrapers, industrial packing cases, Polyvinyl Chloride – recycled into insulation for cables and drain pipes. What can they become? Recycled plastic bottles can be made into new bottles or items such as plastic lumber for outdoor decking, playground equipment, carpeting, clothing, and car parts. At one of the demonstration sites, Hossain's research group put 600 plastic pins into the ground, making use of 300,000 plastic bottles that otherwise would have ended up in landfills. They keep our bread and other food fresh. Nearly 29.3 percent of plastic bottles are recycled in the U.S. Milk Jugs & Other Plastic Containers … can become new bottles and containers, plastic lumber, picnic tables, lawn furniture, playground equipment, recycling bins and more. As plastic decays, it can give off chemicals that get into our water and air and can make people, plants, and animals sick. Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material into useful products. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In an effort to make the beverage industry less wasteful, his company CarbonLite processes used plastic bottles into new bottle-grade plastic for clients like Nestlé and PepsiCo. Learn.eartheasy.com has some figures on the recycling rates of different plastics in the US: Plastic #1 (PET) – about 25% of PET bottles in the US today are recycled, Plastic #2 (HDPE) – only about 30-35% of HDPE plastic used in America gets recycled each year. Check out this video that shows how it’s done. Other Plastics – white plastic polystyrene foam peanuts used as packing material are often accepted by shipping stores for reuse. They also can be recycled into new plastic bags – and then recycled again. Even non-electric toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and dental floss containers can be recycled, although the only national scheme accepting these items is … Expanded polystyrene (EPS) scrap can easily be added to products such as EPS insulation sheets and other EPS materials for construction applications. By continuing to use this site, you are accepting the use of cookies. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. While recycling plastic bottles into clothing is certainly better than those same bottles ending up in a landfill, it isn’t doing anything to decrease our dependence on plastic. Plastic Oceans International is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, founded and existing under the laws of California (Federal Tax ID #81-3778043). We are dedicated to ending plastic pollution and fostering sustainable communities worldwide. 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