only 1% of plastic is recycled
Plastic - - NOT environmentally friendly
Only 1%, or about 100,000 tons of all post-consumer plastic, has been reaching recycling plants.
Unlike recycling cans and glass, it cannot be recycled into the original product. Also, recycling plastics is more complicated because it is difficult and expensive to distinguish different types of plastic from one another, and each requires different specifications for recycling.
Plastics can be burned and converted to electricity or steam at waste-to-energy plants. Burning plastic provides significantly more energy than burning other garbage
While many plastics are now recyclable, We encourages recyclers to avoid plastics and all other packaging as much as possible. Over the past 45 years, single-use packaging, especially plastic packaging, has increased by more than 10,000%!
Simply recycling these products does not negate the environmental damage done when the resource is extracted or when the product is manufactured.
ALL PLASTICS CAN LEACH CHEMICALS
Avoid subjecting plastic containers to high temperatures (like in the microwave or dishwasher, from hot food or drink, or from direct sun).
“Microwave safe” simply indicates the plastic won’t melt in the microwave, not that it won’t leach chemicals.
Avoid using harsh detergents to clean plastics to prevent releasing additional chemicals.
REUSABLE ALTERNATIVES
For safer alternatives, use resealable glass containers to store and heat food, a stainless steel “to-go” coffee cup instead of plastic, and for water bottles, try a stainless steel bottle.
PLASTICS TO AVOID
PV3, PS6, PC7
PVC is commonly considered the most damaging of all plastics. It releases carcinogenic into the environment when manufactured or incinerated and can leach phthalates with use.
You’ll find this code on your foam, or polystyrene, cups and “to go” boxes, and some clear cups and containers. Polystyrene can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen. PC, or polycarbonate, can potentially leach bisphenol-A, a known hormone disrupter. PC is NOT to be confused with #7 PLA.
SAFER PLASTICS
PETE 1, HDPE 2, LDPE 4, PP 5, PLA 7
PETE (polyethylene/terephthalate) is considered among the safest plastics, though some studies do indicate that repeated use of PETE bottle or container could cause leaching of DEHP, an endocrine-disrupting phthalate and probable human carcinogen.
Some reusable sports 2 bottles are a #2 (high-density polyethylene), these are far preferable to the #7 versions.
Low-density 4 polyethylene and 5 LDPE polypropylene PP are considered reasonably safe.
PLA, or polylactic acid, is 7 a safe, biodegradable, compostable (not PLA recyclable) plastic made from plants. Make sure your item is certified by BPI before composting.
