Want to Know Where to Recycle Your Bottle Caps?
Keep saving your lids for the next time you need to buy some more shampoo or lotion at Aveda. The company accepts all polypropylene (plastic #5) lids for recycling at its stores, which you can quickly search for using Earth911.com.
Did you know that bottle caps are generally a different type of plastic than the bottles themselves? Put down your water bottle for a second and flip it over. On the bottom, you’ll probably see a triangle with chasing arrows and a “1″ on the inside. That means that the bottle is polyethylene, a plastic generally accepted for recycling in most curbside and drop-off programs. But have you checked out the lid yet?
More than likely, the lid doesn’t have a number on it. Or, if it does, it’s a different number than the bottle itself. The problem with this is that, sometimes, your recycler may not accept this different plastic, and the lids end up getting sent to landfills in the recycling process.
You can determine if you have the right kind of plastic by checking to see if the lid is:
-
Bottle caps usually require a separate recycling process from the bottles themselves. Aveda recycles plastic#5 caps at its stores.
A twist top, or a cap with a threaded neck (think: shampoo, water, soda, milk)
- A flip-top cap from a tube or food product bottle (think: ketchup, mayonnaise)
- A laundry detergent or peanut butter lid
- Rigid and resistant to tears (think: can you bend or break the lid with your hands?)
The program doesn’t accept lids like yogurt lids, pharmaceutical lids, tub lids (like margarine or cottage cheese) and non-screw top lids.
Once collected, the caps are recycled and turned into new packaging for Aveda products, like hair color and shampoo.
Just think: by the simple act of saving your bottle caps and jar lids for your next trip to the mall, you’ll also end up saving valuable plastic from getting trashed and possibly prevent a marine animal from attempting to eat these colorful caps.
(Don’t have an Aveda near you? Whole Foods is another national retailer that is now collecting plastic #5 products.)
Jenae Finney
posted on January 16th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Who do I send my bottle caps to then? to Aveda?
Jeffrey
posted on January 27th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Ya, goo question Jenae, were would we send our bottle caps? I live in a very rural area. No malls, (thank God and Goddess, or whoever you worship), this would be the best alternative vs. trashing it, and killing a marine animal’s life.
Why can - Q&A WIKI
posted on February 3rd, 2009 at 9:21 pm
[...] misspelling and bottle caps you should get it. ANSWER: The website for recycling the lids is: http://earth911.com/blog/2009/... Report Abuse ANSWER: They are made from a different, more rigid, type of plastic than the [...]
Elisa
posted on February 4th, 2009 at 11:41 am
THANKS for the questions!
Jennifer: What do you mean when you say: “…saving your bottle caps and jar lids for your next trip to the mall.” ? What do you mean??? Am I supposed to visit the shoe store, the book store, the sunglass hut….WHO or WHERE should I take the caps??? Someone else (not as dedicated to re-cycling) might read this and become VERY discouraged. People want to know specifics. They don’t have the time to read a ‘fun’ article titled “Want To Know Where To Recycle Your Bottlecaps?” that is inspiring but UN-informative! If they are at the site and have begun to read an article they are already inspired. They simply need specifics on WHERE to recycle or a phone number, at least!
In my experience, which is considerable, I have not found anyone at a mall telling me where to re-cycle bottlecaps. I certainly have not found anyone at the mall collecting recyclables!
Dawn
posted on February 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Our school was told to collect bottle caps for a student who has cancer. It is supposed to help pay for chemo. But no one knows what to do with the large quantity we have collected. The source of the request has disappeared. Can you tell me where I can take these to be recycled? Anything would help – they are piling up fast because we all care about the student with cancer . . . I am located near Charlotte in NC.
Thank you!
Dawn
eric wood
posted on March 14th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I need to start checking my caps out.
For those of you who are confused as to where you are supposed to recycle the #5 plastics in the caps, scroll to the top of the page, enter #5 plastic in the box for what you want to recycle and enter your location in the box for where, then click “search” All your options will be shown.
http://www.goinggreenaccidently.blogspot.com
Andrea Saddi
posted on March 27th, 2009 at 10:58 am
People think that recycling is not that important. but it really does something to help us survive in this world. What recycling does is it actually helps to make energy, or protects the envorinment. People don’t know this but actually it is the common habit of a daily life.
Renee Hicks
posted on April 1st, 2009 at 5:02 am
There is no such promotion that will turn caps into help paying for chemotherapy. This was a hoax on the internet for a long time. It was perpetuated by a story talking about caps for cancer, but upon further research, nothing came of it. As a cancer survivor of almost 2 years, I have looked into this and there is no such thing as saving caps for chemo. If there was, why wouldn’t everybody be doing it?
Aveda.com does have instructions about saving caps and sending the caps to them for use in shampoo bottles, etc. Check out their website for the info.
Brooke Wickham
posted on April 1st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I tried several times to recycle plastic caps at Aveda stores, but there are no Aveda salons in Thurston or Pierce Counties in Washington state that participate in the recycling program. Aveda has a nice web page about recycling bottle caps, but since each salon can choose to participate or not, the recycling program is not really an option. The Aveda salons in my area in Olympia, Washington had not even heard about the cap recycling program. I sent several emails to Aveda to try to find a place to recycle the caps, but never heard back from them. It appears that the Aveda recycling program is just smoke and mirrors and sounds nice, but is not really functioning as a true recycling program, but as a public relations gimmick.
Brooke Wickham
posted on April 1st, 2009 at 4:14 pm
In case you cannot find an Aveda salon to bring your plastic caps to, if you live in the Western United States, you can send plastic caps to:
Distribution Center
Aveda Cap Program
Attention: Cesar Soto
475 West Apra Street
Rancho Dominguez CA 90220
I called the Aveda Corporate Headquarters after many unsuccessful email requests for help with finding a location near where I live for Aveda’s recycled cap program, and they kindly gave me the above address.
rita
posted on April 13th, 2009 at 6:46 am
thanx for the bottle cap info, however, was disappointed to read someone said the aveda’s she tried did not accept them. i will call the two i know of to inquire. rita m.
elaine
posted on April 22nd, 2009 at 6:40 am
I own an AVEDA salon in South Tampa, Florida. You can bring your bottle caps to us and we will distribute them to AVEDA for you. Visit us on Facebook for more information.
Courtney
posted on May 6th, 2009 at 8:17 am
To Eric above- no, typing in their search does not work. It shows the places that accept #5 plastics, which is very different from the CAPS. All the search results for my area don’t actually accept lids, but there is no way for this search engine to tell you that, I just know from checking their websites. And I tried typing in things with “cap” “lid” etc, but they don’t list that here.
Amanda
posted on May 18th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Thanks for telling me where to send the caps! I am passonate about helping the enviroment!!!!!
Amanda
posted on May 19th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Check out my website
http://savetheenviroment.groups.homepagenow.com
Menna
posted on June 16th, 2009 at 2:57 am
I always need to own a company that reciles in Ethiopia .But I can’t do it because of financial problems . Here where I live there are many throun waste materials that can be recicled ? Is there any one up there that can help me .
Elizabeth
posted on June 26th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Does anyone know where I can recycle baby food lids?
T
posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Does anyone know where I can find some data on the damage metal beer caps do when thrown into the ocean or lakes? I know fish and other marine life might eat them but i’m looking for some scientific data or studies that have been done?
Emily
posted on July 11th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Dawn:
go here: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_6_1x_Bottle_Caps_for_Chemo.asp
it’s a sad truth, i collected bottle caps for my gym and now I don’t know where they go! Perhaps you could give your collection to the art classes at your school and they could use them in a project or sculpture of some kind.
Rhonda
posted on July 24th, 2009 at 6:24 am
You can use the plastic caps for drainage fill in plant containers. You can also check out this site for more suggestions: http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20070709/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-bottle-caps.
Donna
posted on September 6th, 2009 at 4:59 am
My school is interested in collecting bottle caps, but a Middle School would like to do it for a reason, like get supplies for the school, etc. Is there anyone that sponsors recycling programs for schools?
jodie
posted on October 18th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Hi, my family just got word about the caps for cancer and have started collecting caps, however after research, the cancer society has released a statement that this is a HOAX. please check into this i would hate to crush the dreams of a cancer patient so please research this.
JT
posted on October 27th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I’m in San Diego, CA – are there any real simple answers instead of going from website to website on recycling plastic water bottles?
So far I learned “no caps”.
Do I have to take the wrappers off the bottles?
Do I need to separate the clear from the colored? I would think so.
Would I receive the 5 cents per bottle or do I get paid by weight?
How much do I need to have for the recycler to take them?
I want to start recycling even tho I really don’t have the room where I live.
Aaron
posted on November 1st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Someone should make a sheet we can print off an hang by a box to collect these. Something with pictures of acceptable items, maybe a list, maybe the symbols that have a 5 in them so we know the difference, maybe a list of items that cannot go in there, and maybe the reason why we are seperating the caps from the bottles…………….
I might work on that, but don’t know how to share it with others.
keith opalinski
posted on November 2nd, 2009 at 12:05 am
im looking to do artwork with bottle caps, so if anyone would like to donate them to me i would be more then greatful
Brooke B
posted on November 5th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
So are the plastic caps on 20 oz soda bottles # 5’s? People at work collect them for the “reward points”, & after they are done throw about 20 away at once. I would love to be able to start a collection bin at work & drop them off at Whole Foods myself as it is closer to me than an Aveda salon. So, just to clarify, are Coke caps #5?
Stephanie
posted on November 8th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
As the art teacher in an elementary school we are huge into recycling. I am in the midst of an art unit on reuse, recycle, reinvent…and would love any bottlecaps you would like to send our way. I’m also looking for lids (from containers) in any color or size. Please contact me if interested. Thanks!
Rosemary Daniell
posted on November 18th, 2009 at 4:29 am
Help-Please help! I have been collecting bottle tops for some years.When our local collection point here in Teignmouth, S Devon UK stopped I took them to our friends [linked to Secours Catholic]in Casteljaloux France where they went ‘to help provide wheelchairs for handicapped children’. Now they too no longer use them. I regularly receive carrier bags full from our church members. Do I now have to tell them to throw them in their bins. Surely that too cannot be a HOAX like ‘caps for cancer’ Sometimes it is so difficult to do the right thing. Good luck to you all.Rosemary