Adventures in Greenless Oklahoma Part 2: Plastic Pains

We always recycle as much of our household waste as possible, but not all items can be - most notably some plastics.  I have gone to great lengths to help collect #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) plastics at home, laying around the trash at work, and from co-workers bringing plastic from their homes to me.  Recycling plastic is probably the most fulfilling of all materials due to it's chemical nature.  Plastics break down so slow and turn into long chain chemicals that can be toxic to the soil (or ocean waters), unlike less complicated materials such as glass or paper, etc.

When I started recycling plastic I was gung ho about checking everything for the little triangle on the bottom with the number inside it.  Like a scratch off lotto ticket, it became a rush to find that little number.  I was separating each number in its own pile.  I learned soon after that most of my labor was wasted; in my area only #1 and #2 were accepted.  Even though I'm glad to be able to recycle any plastic at all, I was troubled by the amount of #5 (PP) plastic that I was accumulating... and eventually having to throw in the garbage.  I recently read that certain companies are changing to #5 plastic because of its strength which in turn limits the amount of plastic being used (thinner containers - that they claim are good for the environment).  But only larger urban areas have recycling of #5 making the switch a less perfect improvement for most areas... less recycling threatens to equal out any impact from the switch.

Supposedly certain grocery stores recycle #4, but I have yet to see any store that takes #4 other than grocery bags - random #4 plastics... denied.  Weirder stuff #3 and #6 are rarely seen around my house, so I consider them non-issue for me personally. 

The most troubling is #7 (listed as OTHER) due to the fact that it can not be recycled because of it's mixed plastic contents.  Also certain #7 plastics have been linked to health problems when exposed to heat (i.e. the recent news warning of water / baby bottles leaking toxic chemicals).  I do find these bottles quite often too.  I get them from coworkers (Arizona Tea Gallon Jugs) and at home (Naked Juice 15.2 oz bottles) - which I will avoid in the future.  So... if you are buying plastic bottles, containers, or whatevers then try to see what plastic it is first.  Only certain plastic can be recycled and the #7 is by far the worst... pure landfill fodder - avoid it like the plague.

Below is a website for a complete list of all the plastics #1 - #7 and what makes each so unique. 

http://www.recyclenow.org/r_plastics.html