When I recycle my household trash is it really being reused in new products?

Question

When I recycle my household trash is it really being reused in new products?

Answer 1

I worked at a temp job at a plastic factory. They made these blue plastic holders for 2 liter Pepsi bottles. Each one holds 6 bottles. They had a machine at one end of the factory that ground the old ones up into pellets that were fed into the injection molding machines to make new ones. I saw them taking all kind of plastic stuff based on color and grinding it into pellets that way. At least some of the plastic appeared to be recycled from other things.

So. Now, I know for sure they recycle paper, plastic aluminum and steel. Also cars and airplanes.

Answer 2

Yes. Even if it is just to make things like napkins or papertowels, or plastic bottles out of plastic from plastic bottles. It is almost all going to be used, and every bit helps

Answer 3

yeah but not the same product it start out to be!

it can be anything!  I hear the plastic bottles get thinned and is used for packaging supplies!

can's get heatted up and melted down

same with glass!

paper is the big one!  

it can be recycled all the time!

Answer 4

It really depends on what it is.

Soda can are readily recycled, because it's expensive to turn bauxite into Al cans.

Plastic soda bottles are readily recycled.  Some plastic types are not easy to recycle and I suspect they are thrown away in some cases.  

Glass is often recycled, but it's basically just melted sand, so it's not a highly valuable resource.

It also depends on your own particular facility.  Here in california, I have very good recycling. They take back batteries and all sorts of things.  Even paint gets re-used.