United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA/530-SW-90-017E
Agency (OS-305) February 1990
Office of Solid Waste
v°/EPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
THE FACTS ON RECYCLING
PLASTICS
FROM ERA'S REPORT TO CONGRESS ON
METHODS TO MANAGE AND CONTROL
PLASTIC WASTES
Discarded plastic products ana packaging make up a
growing proportion of municipal solid waste. By the year 2000,
the amount of plastic we throw away wiR increase by 50 percent.
Current volume estimates for plastic waste range from 14 to 21
percent of the waste stream. By weight plastics contribute seven
percent, and less than one percent of plastic waste is currently
recycled. Additionally, some plastic Hems end up as litter that
poses ecological risk to the marine environment and aesthetic
and economic loss. These facts, and EPA's belief that recycling
is one of the most promising methods for reducing environmental
impacts from wastes, have led to exploration of plastics recycling.
Are Plastics Recyclable?
The different types of plastics used in consumer products include:
polyethylene in milk Jugs, polypropylene in car battery cases,
polyethylene terephthalate in soft drink bottles; polyvinyl chloride in
cooking oil bottles, and polystyrene in food containers and foam cups.
All of these plastics are technically recyclable-that is, they can be
remelted and formed into other items. The term "recyclable," however,
also means that there is a way to collect and separate the materials
and market the end products. The recyclability of plastics can
therefore vary over time and location.
Both single resins and a mixture of plastics can be recycled, but the
end products from a mixture are often lower in value than those from
just one type of plastic. Therefore, the success of plastics recycling
may depend on the development of technologies to separate mixed
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plastics into single resins, and on increasing the markets for products of
mixed plastic recycling. In sum, the answer to the question "Are plastics
recyclable?" is a qualified yes.
What Is Being Recycled Now?
Less than one percent of plastics are currently recycled. Only a few
plastic consumer items such as soft drink bottles and milk jugs are being
recycled in the United States. Recycling of polystyrene food containers
and cups is Just getting started.
What Products Are Made from Recycled Plastics?
A wide variety of products can be made from recycled plastics. The type
of resin recycled and how well it has been separated from other wastes
and resins determines what products can be made.
Soft drink bottles are being recycled into fiberfill for coats, sleeping bags,
and pillows; into carpeting; and into bottles for household cleaners.
Milk jugs are being recycled into toys, flower pots, layers of detergent
bottles, and base cups for soft drink bottles. Polystyrene food containers
and cups are being recycled into note pad holders, stackable file holders,
and pen/pencil holders, as well as cafeteria food trays, toys, cu.u insula-
tion.
If the plastics cannot be beparated from each other into single resins, a
mixture of plastics can be made into plastic lumber to be used for larger
items such as park benches, docks, fences or pallets.
The Outlook for Plastics Recycling
Plastics recycling is just getting started, and like recycling of other com-
modities, its success will depend on the interaction between supply and
demand. While the amount of plastic in the waste stream is large, the
collection, separation, and cleaning of those products has proven difficult
and sometimes expensive. Research is under way on methods to im-
prove and mechanize these steps.
Markets for some recycled products, like soft drink bottles, appear to be
well defined-while others are not. Commitment from manufacturers and
processors of plastic resins to expand their use of recycled resins, along
with increased government procurement of recycled plastics, will help
solidify some markets.
Where Can I Find Additional Information?
Call EPA's RCRA/Superfund Hotline for a free copy of the Executive
Summary of EPA's Report to Congress on Methods to Manage and Control
Plastic Wastes (EPA/530-SW-89-051A). The toll-free number is 1-800-
424-9346, or TDD 1-800-553-7672 for the hearing impaired. In Wash-
ington D.C., the number is 382-3000, or TDD 475-9652. The Hotline is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. Ask the
Hotline for information on ordering the full report.
Original Printing on Recycled Par
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