Did you know that recycling just one pound of plastic #1 (also labeled PET or PETE) saves 22.9 kilowatt-hours of energy and 47.4 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over producing the same amount of plastic from virgin materials?
Plastic #1 may be best known for its use in the production of soda and water bottles, a common source of litter in the U.S. Yet the U.S. recycled only 29.1% of plastic #1 bottles and jars and 8.7% of plastics overall in 2018. Our planet is covered in plastic pollution. It’s past time to step up recycling efforts worldwide.
Data sources: “Eco-profiles of the European plastics industry,” a report by I Boustead for PlasticsEurope (March 2005) and How Much CO2 Emissions Per kWh of Electricity?
This poster was originally published on February 25, 2020.