Recycle, it runs life cycle...

Recycling is one of the easiest and most common ways to go green and reduce waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plastics are one of the largest segments of the municipal waste stream, accounting for 30 million tons of waste in 2008. The EPA estimates that just 6.8 percent of this amount was recovered for recycling. As the demand for plastics continues to grow, so does the need to recycle plastics whenever possible.

Types of Recyclable Materials

Plastics are coded from 1 to 7 depending on the type of resin they're made of. According to the American Chemistry Council, polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) plastic containers, which are coded with a 1, and high density polyethylene (HDPE), which is coded with a 2, make up the bulk of recycled plastic materials. Examples of PET and HDPE plastics include plastic water and soda bottles, detergent bottles, food packaging and milk containers. You should check with your local recycling facility to determine which plastics it accepts for recycling.

Plastic Recycling Process

There are several key steps involved in the plastic recycling process, beginning with their collection and transportation to a local recycling facility. From there, the collected plastics are typically redirected to a company which specializes in the plastic recycling process. According to the American Beverage Association, the next step involves sorting the plastics according to their resin code, washing them, and grinding them into tiny pieces. The small pieces of plastic are then heated to melting and poured into an extruder, which molds the plastic into thin strips. Once the strips harden, they are cut into small pellets, which form the base material for new plastic products.

Environmental Impact of Plastic Recycling

Recycling plastic conserves natural resources, reduces pollution and waste, and protects marine wildlife, who are at risk of being strangled or poisoned by plastic trash floating in the water. The California Coastal Commission states that birds, fish and other sea creatures, including gray whales and sea turtles, mistake plastic for food.
Which Plastics Are Recyclable?

Plastic Grocery Bags

Depending upon the store, you may have the option to use polyethylene plastic grocery bags instead of paper bags. These plastic bags can be recycled and manufactured with significantly smaller environmental impact than paper bags.
According to the American Plastic Council, polyethylene grocery bags use nearly 70 percent less energy to manufacture and hence, less fossil fuel emissions. If you are concerned about the environment, seriously consider recycling your plastic bags to reduce your carbon footprint.

Milk, Juice And Laundry Bottles

These products require a stiffer construction, using a plastic called high density polyethylene, HDPE. The American Society of Plastics Industry SPI resin identification code for these plastics is a triangle with the number "2" in the center and the "HDPE" on the bottom of the symbol. To recycle these bottles, simply rinse them out thoroughly and remove the cap. Grocery bags also fall under this designation.
These products are recycled as other bottles or for use as flower pots or plastic lumber. Recycling these bottles as lumber represents another environmental benefit. The use of post-consumer materials can replace the harvesting of timber, thus saving the energy used to obtain these raw materials.

Benefits of Recycling Plastic Bottles

Plastic is an integral and useful part of our daily lives. Lightweight and shatterproof, plastic beverage bottles are among the most commonly used plastics. In 2009, the plastic bottle recycling rate reached 28 percent, ranking it among the highest recycled plastics.
There is so much more we all can do. But, why should we?

Energy Conservation

Producing new plastic products from recycled materials uses two-thirds less energy than making products from raw (virgin) materials, so recycling plastics frees up that energy consumption for other products and uses. In 2007, the U.S. recycled over 4 billion pounds of plastic, which saved enough energy to heat over 2.1 million homes.

Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions

When recycled material is substituted for virgin material, greenhouse gas emissions from extraction, preprocessing and production are significantly reduced.

Beneficial Reuse

Recycled bottles provide an environmentally friendly source for making new products and substitutes recycled materials for new plastic. Recycled plastic bottles make hundreds of everyday products, including fleece jackets, carpeting and lumber for outdoor decking.

Greater Recycled Plastic Supply & Demand

The more we recycle, the more recycled plastics are available, and the more recycled plastics that we buy, the more the industry will create. According to the American Chemistry Council, the demand for recycled plastics exceeds the available supply, and demand may increase given current green trends. Given this, the number of plastics recycling businesses has tripled in recent years.

Save Landfill Space

Recycling one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.

Meaningful Reduction

Along with recycling, reduction is an important step. Some bottled water producers are trying to reduce plastic in their production, also known as light-weighing, to make an impact. Between 2000 and 2008, the weight of PET plastic water bottle containers decreased by nearly 33 percent.
The average 2-liter bottle of soda is 19 grams lighter than it was in 1977. Approximately 5.6 billion bottles are sold each year, meaning that this simple source reduction has eliminated about 200 million pounds of PET plastic each year.
Using less plastic also conserves energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases.