In a recent article in the Sierra Magazine titled "Behind the Blue Bin", the following information on plastic recycling was provided:
"In theory, polypropylene (PP) (#5) is recyclable, but there are only a few facilities in the US that accept it and most materials recovery facilities (MRFs) aren't anywhere near one. For now, a MRF worker will likely place a yogurt container in a landfill- or incinerator-bound trash bin". In other words, they are not recycled.
"High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was once virtually unrecyclable because it was so cheap to make. Now that manufactures use more recycled material in their packaging the price for HDPE has skyrocketed from $.04 to about $.60 / pound".
"About a third of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers are washed, shredded, and melted down. Some companies glue labels made of a different kind of plastic to PET containers - an innovation that renders some unrecyclable unless the label comes off."
So, the "advertisement" that plastics are recyclable is misleading because the vast majority are not recycled. Clearly, we cannot recycle our way out of this mess! We need to reduce and reuse.
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