Most people are often confused when it comes to recycling plastics in Ohio – they often don’t know which items can be recycled and the best way to do so. Different types of plastic require different processing strategies to be reformulated and re-used as raw material, plus some towns accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others only accept jugs, containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on their bottoms.

A good many people are familiar with the symbol on the bottom of a plastic item – a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a triangle of arrows. This symbol was designed to help consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a unified coding system for manufacturers. 39 states require that plastic items between eight ounces and five gallons to be imprinted with the symbol, as it identifies the type of plastic used, plus they help recyclers.

The Easiest Plastics for a plastics recycling company in Ohio to Recycle:

The most common plastic type is stamped with a number one and are made of polyethylene terephthalate. PET plastic is most commonly found in soda pop and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common product containers. Once it has recycled, PET plastic can be re-used as fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets, plus it can be utilized to make rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, and furniture, as well as other plastic bottles. PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. Conversely, recycling rates remain relatively low, though there is a high demand for these materials by re-manufacturers .

High-density polyethylene plastics are stamped with a number two and are typically heavier containers like laundry detergent or bleach bottles, milk jugs, or shampoo or motor oil bottles. These common containers are often re-purposed into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope, and are widely accepted at recycling centers.

Less Commonly Recycled Plastics:

These plastic types are more difficult to recycled because many cities will reject them due to their very low rate of recyclability:
* Number three – commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, and even some baby bottle nipples.
* Number four – often found in wrapping films (such as Saran Wrap), grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of low-density polyethylene.
* Number five – Typically found in polypropylene containers used in food containers like Tupperware, among other things.

A Selection Of Plastic You Probably Don’t Think Can be Recycled:

Polystyrene, or Styrofoam, is assigned a number six and is commonly located in items such as CD’s, carryout containers, coffee cups, disposable utensils, meat trays, packing “peanuts” and insulation. It is readily accepted because it can be recycled into many items, including insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, and carry-out containers

The Most Difficult Plastics For plastics recycling company in Ohio to Recycle:

Plastic containers stamped with the number seven are the most difficult to recycle because they are comprised of various combination of other plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. Because these types are the most difficult to recycle, they are seldom collected or recycled, however you can return these items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to local waste, and instead put the burden on the makers to recycle or dispose of the items properly.