Is Plastic Recycling that confusing?

Background.

From the inception of recycling in its modern day form, recycling has undergone many changes. We get many questions at the district about what is recyclable and what is not. Questions like:

                   “What plastics are recyclable?”

                   “Why can’t I use the numbers on the plastics?”

                   “I used to be able to put all of my plastics in your bins and now I cannot. Why?”

These are all great questions. Let’s look into this together.

The Numbers.

For those new to recycling, there are 7 different types of plastics. Each represents a different resin code that helps to sort plastics into different categories. For more on these numbers, click here. Nationally, waste haulers in the recycling industry that are moving away from using the well known numbers to identify the plastics they want in the recycling stream.

Why can’t I use the resin codes (#1-7)?

Nationally, we are moving away from this because not all plastics are recyclable. In the past, plastics #’s 1 and 2 were touted as “recyclable”. However, some plastics within those #’s are not recyclable as it stands in the market today.  Clam shell plastics, or food grade plastic containers, are not recyclable in our bins. The problem with these types of plastics is that the sorting technologies at the MRF’s are not able to sort them yet. Some plastics are made differently and the process they go through can determine how recyclable something can be. Hopefully, as technology improves, recycling can expand. Until then, we are focused on recycling PLASTIC BOTTLES AND JUGS.

Accepted plastic bottles & jugs

Plastic Bottles and Jugs

The above picture highlights some of the most commonly used plastic bottles and jugs today. Plastic bottles and jugs are recyclable if they have a neck and shoulders. Think of your neck and shoulders. What does that look like? With plastic bottles and jugs, the neck doesn’t always set evenly in the middle of the bottle or jug. It can be offset to the side with a different shape. The important thing to look for is that it HAS a neck. The shoulders of a plastic bottle can look like yours and spread outward or be one-sided. Once you have identified your plastic bottle a jug as recyclable. make sure that it is CLEAN, DRY, and EMPTY of all liquids.

DO NOT PLACE PLASTIC BAGS IN THE BINS!

No plastic bags

Many questions come to the District asking us “Why can’t I put my plastic bag in the recycling bin?” First, if you bring your recyclables in a plastic bag, that is fine. Just make sure that your recyclables are dumped into our bins. Why? All of these recyclables have to be sorted at Kimble’s MRF in Twinsburg. Plastic bags filled with recyclables do not sort well on conveyor belts. Simply dump your recycling into our bins and reuse your bag. It’s super simple! Additionally, plastic bags get caught inside of the machines at the MRF causing shutdowns, lost production, and money down the drain. The last thing we need to do is make an already expensive process more expensive. For more information, check out our blog on plastic bags.

plastic bottles and jugs only

Always read the label.

On every bin in the District, we place pictures, names of the specific items we want and how we want them (Clean, Dry, Empty) on the label. Give those plastic bottles and jugs a quick rinse to remove any remaining liquids/contaminants from the recyclable. Following these simple requests leads to cleaner recycling, lower recycling costs, and keeps good recycling out of the landfill.

Summary

1) Don’t use the recycling numbers anymore (1-7) to determine if it is recyclable!

2) Recycle Plastic Bottles and Jugs only!

3) Dump your recyclables loosely and take your plastic bag home!

4) Always read the labels!

As always, if you have any questions, you can always reach out to us by commenting below, hitting us up on Facebook, or emailing the district. Happy recycling!

What to Read Next

Vermicomposting: Let’s Get Started!

Batteries: What should I do with them?

Why Should You Get Rid of the Plastic Bag?