Recycling Myths Busted Part 1

There was a time when plastic didn't exist and everything was made of wood or metal. Then plastics were invented and used in large quantities, infiltrating almost everything we use. Even fasteners, long the domain of metal, are now being replaced by plastic, with plastic screws, plastic hex screws, and threaded rods becoming commonplace in dozens of industries. The problem was that plastic products were simply thrown away with the rest of the waste. Unfortunately, plastic is not biodegradable.

Today, the plastic recycling industry has grown and developed, discovering new and more efficient ways to recycle plastic materials. But recyclers and recycling facilities cannot do this alone. We need community support to encourage those around us to recycle.

Here are some myths about plastic recycling.

Myth #1: The domestic market is only interested in recycling bottles

Recycling efforts are expanding, giving citizens the opportunity to recycle not only bottles but many other types of plastic products. Expanding domestic production capacity for cups, films, and bulky plastics is meeting public demand for more recycling options, including single-stream recycling bins, "recycle day" events, and regular recycling shipments by businesses. Companies are working with recyclers and shippers to expand the types of plastics recycled and provide options for recycling materials other than bottles.

Grocery Store Recycling Program aims to recover his 350 million pounds of hard plastic containers behind stores that are currently littered on roads and oceans. For example, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is working to provide recycling access to produce plastic and paper take-home recycling containers. Websites like Recycler Finder and www.recyclingcenters.org can help you find the closest facility near you to access paper and plastic recycling.

Myth #2: Plastic materials can only be recycled.

Most people think that the real benefit of recycling is to return discarded bottles to their original state. Pepsi has met its goal of using at least 10% recycled content in its bottles, and other companies are working to improve this percentage. Over the decades, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued more than 150 letters authorizing the use of food-grade recycled resins in plastic bottles.

An even bigger factor is that bottles are recycled for purposes other than bottles. Rather than putting them back together, we use them to make car parts, plastic fasteners, carpets (and even the fabric for Olympic uniforms!) to encourage people around the world to recycle and help them Benefit the community for its own benefit...not just yourself. People understand the competitive market for resins that go into a variety of products because they see recycling as a means of production, not just useless materials that pollute landfills.

Another positive impact of recycling on manufacturing is the number of jobs created by the addition of this technology. Perhaps we need to focus on increasing recycling participation rates instead of feeling self-loathing about our environmental debt.