Understanding the Role of Plastic One of Three

          When you recycle plastic you often think of the good old #1’s and #2’s that are so prevalent in our households across the nation. What many consumers do not realize is that car parts, packaging, phones, even plastic wine corks pose a problem with their recyclability. Most of these products are made from different types of plastic and cannot be recycled together. They fall into the #7 or “other” types of plastic we just don’t know how dispose of or recycle. With our preference for the “convenient” lifestyle, it is often not the first choice to recycle large quantities of plastic. In fact, only 8% of total plastic waste was recycled in 2010. Thirty one million tons of plastic was generated on 2010, which means that roughly twenty eight tons of plastic was placed in a landfill or other area where it is unable to be reused. Of course, recycling rates vary for different types of plastic­–such as PET, or #1 plastics and HDPE, or #2 plastics–at twenty-nine and twenty eight percent respectively. The United States is in the position where we have the opportunity and the infrastructure to recycle even just #1 and #2 plastics at much higher percentages.

          Those recycling percentages are just a handful of facts provided from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA provides great information about types of plastics and how they are recycled.

EPA Plastics

Being aware of the types of plastics and how they are recycled is important. However, many towns, cities, and counties do not accept most types of plastic and some do not even offer recycling programs. This is unfortunate because so much plastic could be reused for many different purposes. To find a local recycling location that recycles plastic and other materials, please visit the following websites to learn more. If your town or city doesn’t offer a recycling program, consider starting one of your own recycling programs!

Find a Recycling Center

Mail-Back Recycling Programs

How to Start a Recycling Program

The lack of recycling programs could be a reason why many around the globe are of the belief that “plastic is evil” and that we should no longer use plastics as a source for many of our products. But where would we get 90% of our goods if it were not for plastic? Laptops, TV’s, cell phones, much of the packaging our food is transported in, toothbrushes to brush our teeth, and so many other products require plastics to be produced. What could even be used to replace plastics? We should stop thinking of plastic as an evil human by-product that ends up in the ocean. There are many benefits to recycling plastic besides keeping plastic out of the ocean. By recycling plastic, there is less need for new petroleum and natural gas (the two main resources for plastic production) to be extracted, which causes few greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby lowers the global carbon footprint! So, if consumers are responsible, recycle their plastics and take some extra effort to recycle more, we can have a long lasting healthy relationship with plastic.

This information is a great start to developing your recycling habit! If you are looking to jumpstart the path to sustainability, Fusion Interiors is a good contact to assist you on that path. Sarah Sumner is LEED certified and provides design ideas with a sustainable focus. If you are looking to make changes in and around your home, feel free to browse her site to learn more about her portfolio. Here is a sample from one of her projects:

Kid's Recreation Room above garage, Durango Colorado

Be sure to check out our blog weekly for posts. The next post will elaborate on where plastics other than #1 and #2 are being recycled and how they are reused!