| Fact One: In the United States alone, we use | | | | molded into all sorts of shapes and is relatively |
| over two and a half million plastic bottles every | | | | unbreakable. Today we would find it hard to live |
| hour. These are not just water bottles, but | | | | without plastic. I dare you to take just five |
| cleansers, health products and other liquids | | | | minutes and write down all of the plastic in the |
| containers from motor oil and lubricant to milk and | | | | room where you are. It can by an eye-opener. |
| juice bottles. Most of these bottles unfortunately | | | | So, yes, recycling plastic is of the utmost |
| end up in the dump. | | | | importance. |
| Fact Two: Plastic garbage bags and those little | | | | More good news is that it is easier than ever to |
| plastic rings that hold soda cans together can kill | | | | recycle plastics. Most major metropolitan areas |
| an estimated one million sea dwellers every year | | | | have plastic recycle capabilities. But you must |
| because so much of our trash is dumped into the | | | | remember to look for the recycle code in the |
| ocean. Plastic is light weight so it swims with them | | | | triangle on your plastics and verify what numbers |
| and they get caught or suffocate in it. That's | | | | your community recycles. Not all plastics are |
| heartbreaking, isn't it? | | | | recyclable. If it does not have a number in a |
| Number three: We in the United States all by | | | | triangle embossed on the bottom, it is not. Many |
| ourselves toss away over twenty-five billion | | | | microwavable plastics are not recyclable. You just |
| Styrofoam products every year. This stuff isn't | | | | need to train yourself to look for the "emboss" |
| biodegradable, folks. | | | | before you toss. (And of course, rinse them out |
| Last fact: To end on a positive note, recycling our | | | | before you put them in the bin). These numbers |
| plastics can uses half as much energy than it | | | | are identification codes that lets the recycler |
| takes to burn it. It also reduces the amount of | | | | know what type of chemicals are in the plastic, |
| toxic chemicals in the air from incinerating. Due to | | | | how pliable it is, etc. The most common plastics |
| public awareness, in just nine years between 1990 | | | | are the termed the PET (such as clear looking |
| and 1999, the number of plastic recycling | | | | soda bottles) and the less see-through MDEP |
| companies grew by 80%. And they are new ones | | | | bottles (such as milk and laundry detergent |
| around the world being built every year. | | | | bottles). RecycleAbility has links that can help you |
| Since the mid-twentieth century, plastic has | | | | determine what identification numbers are |
| reigned as the preferred material to use. It is | | | | recyclable in your area. |
| cheap to produce, does not corrode, can be | | | | |