Benefits of Recycling Plastic Bottles

Plastic is an integral and useful part of our daily lives. Lightweight and shatterproof, plastic beverage bottles are among the most commonly used plastics. For this reason, plastics and plastic bottles account for a large amount of generated waste, and plastic bottles are among the most recycled plastics. Even so, the plastic bottle recycling rate was only 24.3 percent in 2005.

Still, there is so much more we all can do. But, why should we?

Energy Conservation

Recycling one pound of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles, which include soft drink and water bottles, saves approximately 12,000 BTUs (British thermal unit) of heat energy. And, producing new plastic products from recycled materials uses two-thirds less energy than is required to make products from raw (virgin) materials.

Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions

When recycled material is substituted for virgin material, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

Beneficial Reuse

Recycled bottles provide an environmentally friendly source for making new products and substitutes recycled materials for new plastic. Recycled plastic bottles make hundreds of everyday products, including fleece jackets, carpeting, and lumber for outdoor decking.

Greater Recycled Plastic Supply & Demand

According to the American Chemistry Council, the demand for recycled plastics exceeds the available supply, and demand is liable to increase given current green trends. Beyond this, the number of plastics recycling businesses has increased dramatically in the U.S. in recent years.

Save Landfill Space

Recycling one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.