Plastic Recycling by the Numbers

March 01, 2024

Let's talk about Plastic Recycling by the numbers ♻️

The only plastics that are recyclable in your curbside mixed recycling roll cart are plastic bottles & jugs labeled #1 or #2 on the bottom with the chasing arrows symbol. Please do not put any other plastics in your mixed recycling or the whole roll cart wil be contaminated and all your hard work will be for nothing.

The #1 plastic is called Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET/PETE). It's a clear hard plastic often used as single-use food and drink containers such as water & pop bottles, vegetable oil containers, peanut butter containers, and cleaning product bottles. It's the most widely recycled plastic in the world. It can be recycled into carpet fiber, fleece jackets, tote bags, containers for food, beverages, and more.

The #2 plastic is called High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). It's a hard plastic that is often used for household cleaners and shampoo bottles. HDPE is accepted worldwide because it is one of the easiest plastic polymers to recycle. It can be recycled into bottles for non-food items (shampoo, soaps, cleaners, etc.), plastic lumber, recycling containers, floor tiles, buckets, bins, crates, flower pots, and more.

The reason for recycling these two items is due to the responsible end market of the plastic. We want to be 100% sure that your efforts are being followed through to the very end and we can assure you that your plastic bottles/jugs #1 & #2 have responsible end markets in the United States.

When preparing your plastic bottles and jugs for recycling, please rinse them out and take off the lids or caps. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and we'd be happy to continue the conversation about plastic recycling. Thank you!