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Which Plastic Bottles Can Be Recycled & Why?

Plastic bottles are made from three main types of plastic. These are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Recycling facilities can reuse these plastics to produce more bottles or to recycle them into other products entirely. The reason these plastics and not others are good candidates for recycling is that these three plastics have chemical properties that are amenable to recycling, and therefore the process by which they are recycled is cheap and efficient for recycling centers, who can make a profit from it. According to the American Chemistry Council, the majority of the plastic bottles recycled in the U.S. are made from either PET or HDPE.

  1. Bottles Made from PET

    • Soda and mineral water bottles can be made from PET, as can bottles that contain fruit drink concentrate. These bottles are usually transparent, easily to compact or collapse and carry the identification code "1." Recyclers can easily melt down used PET or grind it up, wash it and turn it into pellets ready to be formed into new PET products. Recyclers can also use processes such as glycolysis, hydrolysis, methanolysis and saponification to split up the plastic polymers in PET plastic and produce different chemical molecules for use in various industrial processes.

    Bottles Made from HDPE

    • HDPE bottles usually contain milk, juice or personal care products. The bottles are usually colored or opaque and carry the identification code "2". HDPE recyclers grind the bottles, wash them, flake them and turn the plastic into pellets. The color of the original bottles is not a problem for recyclers--they simply dye the recycled batch a different color for the next use.

    Bottles Made from PVC

    • Bottles made from PVC carry the recycling code "3." Generally, these bottles contain liquids such as mineral water, cooking oil and fruit drinks that are diluted. Shampoo and bath product bottles are also often made from PVC. PVC bottles tend to be hard to collapse and are generally transparent. The reason recycling facilities recycle less PVC than PET of HDPE is that PVC contains a high level of additives, and can only be recycled into lower-quality plastic than the original container. Some countries have already banned PVC drinking bottles, because not all PVC can be recycled for a profit.

    Recycling Potential

    • According to the American Chemistry Council, commercial carpet manufacturers use most of the PET from recycled bottled as carpet fibers and textile materials. Recycled PET is also used to make new food containers, plastic strapping or clothing fiber. About half of recycled HDPE goes into making more bottles, but it can also be made into garden furniture or plastic pipes. PVC can be recycled into pipes and even shoes.

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