How Plastic Containers are Recycled

Plastics are divided into seven general categories, but really there are more than 10,000 different kinds of plastics, according to the Energy Information Administration. Because there are so many types of plastics, the detailed process of recycling varies, but the basic route is the same:

The Process

1. Bailing
Plastic is baled with other similar types of material. Plastic is then hauled off to a recycling facility where it begins its transformation and crushed into bales with other plastics of its type.

2. Shipping
The bales are sold and shipped to be processed. The bales are sold and shipped to reclaimers, which are companies that process the plastic. Material Recovery Facilities can sell the bales at a higher price if the material is clean. The cleaner the material, the better the market value and the more cost-effective it may be to recycle and repurpose plastic. Make sure you remove any excess food/waste scrap and rinse out your recyclables. Keep bags and film clean and dry.

3. Flaking and Melting
The plastic container packaging is shredded in flakes and melted. The bales are torn up and the pieces are shred into tiny flakes. After a quick wash, rinse and dry, the flakes are melted together.

4. Extruding
Melted plastic is extruded into pellets, small oval pieces of plastic. This liquid plastic is pushed through an extruder. To visualize an extruder, think back on your childhood Play-Doh set where you pushed the dough through the machine to make spaghetti. This is extruding. Plastic may be extruded into various shapes. Most often pellets that can be sold to companies that use recycled plastic.

5. Reuse
The new plastic is sold for secondary use. At this point, different plastics take on different destinies. They become anything from a fleece pullover to a railroad tie or a toothbrush.