We use fewer natural resources such as trees, water and minerals when we recycle. Plus, when you extract and process fewer raw materials, you save lots of energy.
Recycling means less waste, which cuts down on the need for landfills and incinerators.
Check out our free recycling campaign materials, including moving videos, surprising statistics and links to our community where you can ask questions, post news and share ideas. Engage below and help us send the message that by recycling, you can give your garbage another life!
Containers for beverages, foods, and household cleaners; bottles for shampoo, body wash, and other toiletries, plus caps and lids
Used plastics are versatile and adaptable, as illustrated by their wide range of uses. There is a large market for recycled plastic bottles and containers, and keeping that valuable material out of landfills also helps reduce energy use and emissions.
Look for curbside, school, work, or public space recycling bins, or find local recycling drop-off centers. In some states, beverage containers have a deposit refund and can be returned to the store where they were purchased.
For lotion bottles and other toiletry items with pumps, empty the contents, discard the pump, and recycle the bottle. For no-pump containers, simply empty the contents, re-screw the cap to keep it all together, and recycle. Check your local ordinances for specific instructions — this category is easily contaminated with incorrect preparation or the wrong materials.
Once collected, mixed plastics are sorted, baled, and sent to a reclaiming facility. There the plastics are cleaned, washed, and ground into flakes. The flakes are dried, melted, filtered, and formed into pellets. These are sent to a manufacturer to be heated and remolded into a new product.
Depending on the kind of plastic, recycling might give a product new life as fiber for clothing, carpeting, car parts, or strapping. Or it could become a cutting board, a durable outdoor deck, a bench, plastic lumber, playground equipment, or maybe even a recycling bin.
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Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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