Check out our new animated video which encourages recycling professionals and communities nationwide to adopt a uniform set of terms to better communicate with residents about what plastics to recycle.
What's New?
Rigid Plastics
In 2016, at least 1.46 billion pounds of post-consumer rigid plastics were recycled nationwide – 4.5 times the amount recycled in 2007. Today, over 60% of people in the U.S. have access to non-bottle rigid container recycling, according to the Centralized Study on Availability of Plastic Recycling.
Plastic Film
Plastic bags and plastic wraps make up the category “plastic film.” This includes everything from grocery and bread bags to shrink wrap and paper towel film. In 2016, the recovery for recycling of post-consumer plastic film surpassed 1.3 billion pounds – a 123-million-pound increase from 2015.
Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles are the most commonly-recycled household plastics. One report, "Plastics Recycling Collection: National Reach Study" found that 92% of Americans have access to plastic bottle recycling. In 2017, plastic bottle recycling reached nearly 2.8 billion pounds, a 29.3% recovery rate.
Terms & Tools
Try this Terms & Tools resource, developed to help recycling professionals increase recovery rates by using more effective communication.
