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Plastic bottles are great for many reasons. They are light, easy to carry and durable. They are practical and easy to recycle. What really happens during the recycling process? What’s all this about? What are the benefits of recycling plastic water bottles?
On the one hand, recycling one pound of polyethylene terephthalate plastic (from soda and water bottles) saves 12,000 BTU of thermal energy. This means that using recycled materials to create a new product uses two-thirds less energy than raw materials to produce the same product. If you look at it on a global scale, we are saving a lot of BTUs for other, perhaps more important, applications.
Recycling is easy, and most of us do. How can we make it easier? First, it’s helpful to know which bottles should be recycled. Those of us recycling know that not all of them are accepted by the centers. To minimize collections and exacerbations, check the bottle. The bottles numbered 1 to 7 have codes indicating whether this particular bottle can be recycled. The numbers one and two are the most common and easiest to recycle. Almost all centers accept them. It’s also worth knowing that most centers do not collect bottle caps. They are also coded with the number. Items that cannot be recycled at your nearest facility may sometimes go to a curbside recycling program. You can call your city to find out what coded numbers they accept.
What happens when we take them to your local recycling center? There are a few simple steps involved. First, the bottles are packed in a large bale and packed for shipment. Bales contain between 6,500 and 7,200 bottles depending on the size. For example, are there more water bottles than soda bottles? What is the size of a single bottle? The second step is to send them to the “pick-up center” where the bales are broken and the bottles shredded into small pieces. Then they are washed, dried and melted. They are then formed into “beads” from which various practical products such as rugs, clothes and school trays are made. They’re also made into fun items like yo-yos and kayaks!
Recycling helps our communities in many ways. It’s simple and convenient. Plus, it just makes sense.
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Source by Sharon Cacho