Can I Recycle Plastic Cups?

Question

I got a ticket for recycling(oops) Its a plastic container right...?

Answer 1

You can recycle them  if they have a 1 or 2 on the bottom.

If it is a 5 or 6  or no number you can not. If they are not cracked or scratched you can donate them to a thrift store. Recycle that way!!!

Answer 2

Yes its a good idea

Answer 3

Yes. It's called 'washing the dishes'.

Answer 4

yes

Answer 5

of course

Answer 6

Most plastics have numbers (Plastic Identification Codes) on their undersides, explaining what kind of packaging they have:

1:  PET, PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

2:  HDPE (high density polyethylene)

3:  V, PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

4:  LDPE (low density polyethylene)

5:  PP (polypropylene)

6:  PS (polystyrene)

7:  Other

These numbers correlate to how difficult something is to recycle, with 1 being the easiest and 7 being the hardest.  Where you live determines what kind of plastics you can recycle, because different municipalities handle recycling differently.  (The answer above, "You can recycle them if they have a 1 or 2 on the bottom" may or may not be correct, depending on where you live.)

If you do not have any literature from your town or city on recycling, contact your local Department of Public Works to find out what number plastics you can recycle.

Answer 7

You can but it really depends on your trash/recycling pick up. Pheonixville Boro will not pick up somethings that a private trash company would and vice versa.  For example, cans from canned goods will not be picked up by Phoenixville Boro but will from a private pick up co.  So- I would ask your recycling pick up co. for more info.  You may have to drop them off elsewhere for recycling.

Answer 8

As an environmentalist who previously owned a recycling center.  The obvious answer is absolutely yes-----however some things are not necesarily as easy as we would like them to be.  All forms of plastics are recylcable in one way on another however each plastics recycling plant has specific specs as to which plastics and which forms of plastics that they will recycle.  Our number 1 and and number 2 material recylcers only used bottle and jar plastics so we were forced to comingle plastic cups with our other plastics which were used in plastic wood compositions.  The best way to benefit from plastic cups is reuse.  Keep them out of the son as long term solar exposure has detrimental effects on some plastics and wash them.  Many kinds of plastics are perfectly dishwasher safe.

Answer 9

burn them in your fireplace