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 […]
Here’s a trick question. Can #1 plastics — otherwise known as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics — go in the recycling bin? Bet you thought the answer was yes. That’s only half right. It’s a trick question because the answer’s complicated. Most curbside recycling programs accept #1 plastics for recycling, but only certain forms of it. Bottles that hold various products—shampoo, […]