She texts me back asking why I put a bunch of random symbols letters and numbers. Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing and carryout containers.I send a text message to my friend. Because foam products tend to break apart into smaller pieces, you should place them in a bag, squeeze out the air and tie the bag up before putting it in the trash to prevent pellets from dispersing. How to recycle it: Not many curbside recycling programs accept PS in the form of rigid plastics (and many manufacturers have switched to using PET instead). Most places still don't accept it in foam forms because it's 98% air.įound in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carryout containers, aspirin bottles and CD cases. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Styrene monomer (a type of molecule) can leach into foods and is a possible human carcinogen, while styrene oxide is classified as a probable carcinogen. PS (polystyrene) can be made into rigid or foam products - in the latter case, it's popularly known by the trademark Styrofoam. Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, bottles and food containers (as long as the plastic being recycled meets purity standards and doesn't have hazardous contaminants). There's no need to remove bottle labels because the recycling process separates them. When it comes to caps, our environmental pros say it's probably better to dispose of them in the trash (since they're usually made of a different type of plastic), unless your town explicitly says you can throw them in the recycle bin. How to recycle it: PET or PETE can be picked up through most curbside recycling programs, as long as it's been emptied and rinsed of any food. Its recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), even though the material is in high demand by manufacturers.įound in: Soft drinks, water, ketchup and beer bottles mouthwash bottles peanut butter containers salad dressing and vegetable oil containers The PET does not degrade easily during the recycling process and thus has a lower risk of trapping decomposition products that can then leach out. PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic for single-use bottled beverages because it's inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. Of course, the symbols themselves need explaining too. Even if there isn't a way for your town to recycle a certain material, he says there's still a chance they might collect it anyway and either store it or dispose of it. Plus, "there are times when your recycling program may change what it collects," says Mike Brown of Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, one of Good Housekeeping's environmental consultants. How to know what plastics can be recycledĮvery town and city has different recycling programs, so you'll often have to check your location's rules to find out exactly what you can recycle. Here, our environmental experts share what each plastic recycling symbol means, plus examples of where each symbol is found and how to recycle it. From helping you decode "eco-friendly" claims to sharing the winners of our Sustainable Innovation Awards, we're here to help you make smart decisions for your home and the environment. Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, our team is passionate about sustainability and the environment. FYI: Just because a product has the chasing arrows symbol doesn't mean it's recyclable - it's just an indicator of the type of plastic. While the universal plastic resin symbol (three chasing arrows forming a triangle) remains the same, the numbers one through seven inside make a significant difference. With all the different rules and symbols, it can be confusing for consumers to figure out exactly what each plastic recycling symbol means and how to recycle it. Many plastics can be recycled in theory, but according to the United Nations Environment Programme, less than 10% of plastic waste generated worldwide has ever even been recycled. That figure is expected to increase exponentially by the year 2025, according to the study. In fact, a study published in the journal Science and reported widely by the World Economic Forum estimated that 8.8 million tons of plastic packaging ends up in our oceans every year. The material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils and so much more - but it's also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Sometimes it seems like everything in modern America is made of plastic.
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