Why can I only recycle plastic number 1 and 2?

Question

Everywhere I have ever lived (RI, GA, FL, PA, VA) my local recycling centers would only take #1 and #2 plastic. What is the reason for this, why can't the rest of them be recycled?

Answer 1

All plastics are not the same. I am not sure why most recyclers only accept 1 and 2, but a different process is needed to reprocess 3, and most recyclers just are not set up to run that process.

Answer 2

There is a recycle 'life'. After the plastic has been treated,cleansed, reheated,remolded and shipped, it normally leaves one cycle for potable or dietary uses, either #3 or #4 then it goes #5 witch is Industrial Plastic, roadways, sea bouy, channel marker, lamp lens, crate.After 7 is pretty much used up.

The plastic types were defined by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI):

    * Type 1 - PETE  Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

                     Soda & water containers, some waterproof packaging.

    * Type 2 - HDPE  High-Density Polyethylene

                     Milk, detergent & oil bottles.  Toys and plastic bags.

    * Type 3 - V     Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

                     Food wrap, vegetable oil bottles, blister packages.

    * Type 4 - LDPE  Low-Density Polyethylene

                     Many plastic bags.  Shrink wrap, garment bags.        

    * Type 5 - PP    Polypropylene

                     Refrigerated containers, some bags, most bottle tops,

                     some carpets, some food wrap.

    * Type 6 - PS    Polystyrene

                     Throwaway utensils, meat packing, protective packing.

    * Type 7 - OTHER Usually layered or mixed plastic.

                     No recycling potential - must be landfilled.

Types 1 and 2 are commonly recycled. Type 4 is less commonly recycled. The other types are generally not recycled, except perhaps in small test programs. Common plastics polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) do not have recycling numbers.

The code must be molded into the plastic item. The symbol should be easily visible for sorting purposes. The best symbols are large with a different surface finish than the surrounding plastic. If the container has a matte surface (rough), then the symbol should be smooth, a smooth container should have a rough recycling symbol.

Understand that plastic recycling is really in infancy. The process is messy and inefficient. Numerous problems exist. For example plastic from a "blow mold" (the neck of the bottle is narrower than the body) has a slightly different structure from the exact same plastic used in an "injection mold" (where the opening is the widest part of the product). Because of low processing temperatures plastic is highly vulnerable to contamination by food, labels and different plastics.

Much recycled plastic ends up as low grade plastic lumber.

So keep recycling! If one no longer claims to take it, find or demand from your community that the others be found and used, if they are not already.

Answer 3

it takes more work to recycle those and most people are lazy

Answer 4

Well, I know that here in Oklahoma all of our #1 and #2 plastic isn't even recycled in this state, it's shipped to Arkansas. Oddly enough, when I moved here I called and talked to someone that runs my recycling service and asked tham exactly what you're asking, and I was told that our state is just plainly "not equipped" to run a plastic recycling plant. So~basically it's an issue of money...How much is the state is willing to pay to recylcle, or recycle just #1 or #2? Even though there are still 5 other plastics out there wasting away in landfills! I'm an ecology major and this drives me crazy!  I'm from St. Louis and there weren't any recycling services for plastic within a reasonable distance from where I lived, even for #1 and 2. I hate throwing anything away, so the plastic delima was/is always on my mind. I tried to stop buying it all together, they've made it almost impossible, but I still avoid it as much as they'll let me!

Personally, I think the companies that manufacture the plastics should be responsible for the waste management. For example, walgreen's rx bottles being returned to the store for recycling...right there: thousands of #5's out of the landfill. There's a million little things that can be done, with no affect ont he economy; but they'd rather build a new nuclear power plant than a geothermal, a natural gas source instead of solar...They make more money by being 'the source' and they can tax us more... I can build a house with the trees around me, elecrticity with the sun shining, and food from the ground that naturally replenishes itself...Makes you wonder how the human race ever made it this far without currency?! People have forgotten how to take care of themselves without it, and that's way too frightening of a thought to me!