How to Recycle Plastic

Plastic is one of the most widely used materials in households and businesses. From food containers to bags and credit cards, life is filled with plastic. It takes a lot of non-renewable energy sources like petroleum to make plastic; this also results in generation of green house gases that accelerate global warming. When plastic ends up in landfills, it takes over thousand years to decompose.

Earth911 has staggering statistics on how much plastic waste is generated each year. Just plastic water bottles alone accounted for 138 million bottles going into landfills in 2007!

This growing problem can be tackled on if we, as a responsible community, go green. We can recycle plastic waste through different government initiatives for eco-friendly sustenance. Recycled plastic can be used to make toys, car parts, drainage pipes, etc.

The following tips are on how to recycle plastic.

• Most states have a recycle program for plastic. They may have a local drop off center or a curbside pickup. Check Environmental Protection agency (EPA) for information pertaining to your locality.

• The programs may also have restrictions on the types of plastic that can be recycled. Plastic is categorized into different 'resin numbers' depending on its composition and thickness. Plastic items usually carry the recycle logo and a resin number. Bottles usually display this number at the bottom. Typically beverage and water bottles, food containers, plastic wraps are type-1 PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate). Milk, juice and yoghurt containers, trash bags, shampoo bottles, etc. are type-2 HDPE high-density polyethylene. Grocery bags are Type-4.

Plastic waste is grouped based on these numbers and then recycled. So you will have to separate out your plastic wastes in different categories. Empty the liquid and food containers and rinse them before you recycle. Contaminants from residues will hamper the recycling process.

• Bottle labels and plastic rings will also be accepted in most recycling programs. Containers of hazardous materials like pesticides or anti-freeze should not be recycled with other plastic trash.

• Grocery bags are usually recycled separately from other common plastic containers. Many stores offer programs for reusing these bags.

• When disposing off items in a bin, crush them to save space.

It is easy to go green with plastic. Just a few minutes of extra care in separating items and responsible disposable will help in recycling plastic.