Recycling plastic is a complicated process that is anything but straightforward. Accessibility and guidelines differ among cities, municipalities, and recycling companies. However, there are some universal guidelines for plastic recycling. Find answers to the most commonly asked plastic recycling questions here.

Is plastic recyclable?

It would be great if this was a simple yes or no answer, but plastic is probably the most complicated material to recycle, so the answer is an unsatisfactory…it depends. Recyclability of plastic is contingent on plastic type, accessibility of recycling services, and market demand.

Do recycling arrows and numbers on a plastic container mean it’s recyclable?

Nope!

Don’t feel bad, most people think that the recycling symbol on plastic means it is recyclable but this is not the case. This symbol is actually a resin identification code. Its purpose is to indicate the type(s) of plastic used to manufacture the item, not that it is necessarily recyclable.

So what plastic numbers are recyclable?

Technically most plastics are recyclable, but availability depends largely on cost, the processing capability of facilities, as well as supply and demand. These materials are a commodity, and like any commodity, the market fluctuates with supply and demand. If there’s not a demand for a certain plastic type, operators either won’t collect it, or will sell those plastics for incineration.

Supply depends somewhat on us as consumers. Since only about 5-9% of plastic is recycled in the U.S., certain types of plastic are difficult for recyclers to source.

In order to know which plastic numbers can be recycled in your area, the best practice is to check with your local recycling service to see which plastic resins they accept.

#1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) are generally accepted for recycling everywhere. Plastic water bottles are the primary source for PET plastic, while HDPE is used in bottles and containers such as laundry detergent, milk jugs, and shampoo bottles.

#5 (PP) is another commonly recycled plastic. Objects like yogurt containers, black plant pots, and prescription bottles are made from this plastic.

#4 (LDPE) is also referred to as plastic film, which is any thin stretchy plastic, such as ziploc bags, grocery and produce bags, and product wrap. These CANNOT be mixed with other recycling as they tend to clog sorting machinery.

#3 (PVC), #6 (PS) and #7 (other) are rarely recycled because they the process is very difficult and therefore expensive. Again, they may be collected but most likely will meet an incinerator rather than a recycling plant.

In my area, plastics #1-7 are all accepted in curbside recycling, but #1 , #2, and #5 are the only ones consistently getting recycled. The rest are sold to a local cement plant who burns these plastics as a fuel source for their kiln. This is actually a very common practice. According to Beyond Plastics, the burning of plastics made in the U.S. releases an estimated 15 million tons of greenhouse gases each year.

The cement industry is responsible for 7% of global greenhouse emissions. Burning plastics can release harmful toxins like dioxins into the air, but proponents deny this is an issue. I contacted the cement facility that burns plastics in my state and was assured that burning plastic is cleaner than coal, and that the cement plant “does have pollution control equipment and very strict permit for air pollution.” Somehow I remain skeptical.

I have mixed feelings about this process. The burning of non-recyclable plastic results in less plastic in landfills, and less virgin fossil fuels required for fuel, but I’m not confident about the filtration of toxic chemicals being released into the air. It leaves me wondering if I should just throw certain plastic items into the trash, to sit forever in a landfill. It’s a classic battle of picking the lesser of two evils, and I’m not sure what the best answer is.

For more information about burning plastics, read these articles by National Geographic and Greenpeace.

Plastic not acceptable for curbside recycling

• Plastic film
• Bulky items, such as furniture.
• Items made from multiple materials, such as garden hoses, toothpaste tubes, and candy wrappers.
• Styrofoam
  • Styrofoam is a notoriously tough material to recycle; I haven’t located anywhere that will recycle it. Some places may recycle block styrofoam, such as Marko Foam in Utah. Many online sources say that UPS stores will take your packing peanuts, but the locations I have contacted told me they do not, and one told me UPS has banned packing peanuts altogether. So styrofoam belongs in the trash; do your best to avoid it as much as possible.

Recycling plastic film

Many stores, such as Target and Walmart, offer drop-off collections for this type of plastic. However, there have been several investigations, including one by ABC News, that have tracked these plastics only to discover they often end up in landfills or incinerators.

• Check How2Recycle and NexTrex for drop-off recycling locations.
• Terracycle has a mail-in program for plastic packaging recycling. You purchase a box from them, complete with a shipping label, and when you have filled it, you return it to them for recycling. It is very convenient and accepts rigid plastics in addition to plastic film, but it is very spendy.
• Recyclops is a service that picks up difficult to recycle items from your house. This includes plastic films, in addition to textiles, light bulbs, and batteries; styrofoam and clamshell pickup are available for an additional fee.
• Ridwell is another option for hard-to-recycle items. They also collect plastic films, along with an extensive list of other items.
• Transition to plastic film alternatives.

More plastic recycling options

Terracycle is the most comprehensive resource available for recycling many plastic objects that cannot typically go in curbside recycling. Many of their mail-in programs are offered in conjunction with manufacturers.

For harder to recycle plastic items, head over to the How to Reduce Plastic Use. Some objects can be recycled through mail-in programs like Terracycle or retailer collection such as Nordstrom’s Beautycycle.

Final thoughts on plastic recycling

While plastic recycling is important, is not the real solution here. Plastic production is continuing to rise and is expected to double by 2050, while recycling rates remain pitiful as less than 9% of plastic gets recycled. Recycling cannot keep up with all the plastic use. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production are significant–four times more than that of the aviation industry. Learn about plastic pollution here.

Plastic cannot be recycled indefinitely, and ultimately it ends up in a landfill, never biodegrading. And recycling does not address microplastics or the harmful chemicals used in plastic.

So what is the real solution? Minimizing plastic use in every way possible. Learn how to do that here.