Facts about Plastic Bottles

It’s a hot summer day and you are enjoying a nice, cool bottle of water. As you walk through your local park, you reach out and throw your empty bottle into the trash can. What are the repercussions of these actions?

• Americans buy an estimated 28 billion plastic water bottles every year.
• Nearly eight out of every 10 bottles will end up in a landfill.
• It is estimated that the production of plastics accounts for four percent of the energy consumption in the U.S.
• HDPE and PET bottles showed the highest recycling rates of any plastic bottles types, at 27.1 and 23.1 percent respectively.
• About 80 percent of all municipal solid waste ends up in a landfill, while 10 percent is incinerated and only 10 percent is recycled. Because about less than one percent of all plastics is recycled, almost all plastics are incinerated or end up in a landfill.
• Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for up to six hours.
• Recycled plastic bottles can be made into products such as clothing, carpeting, detergent bottles and lumber for outdoor decking.
• More than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a plastics recycling program, be it curbside or community drop-off centers.
• Producing new plastic products from recycled materials uses two-thirds less energy than is required to make products from raw (virgin) materials. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.