The Green Parent

Ever wonder what happens to that milk jug after you toss it in the recycling bin? (Or have your kids asked for details and left you fumbling for an answer?) Here’s a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes to turn your old plastic bottles into something new.

A Closer Look: Before plastics can be recycled, they will be inspected and sorted to remove contaminants like rocks and glass.

Unrecyclable plastics will also be removed at this stage; however this process is not fool proof and often involves a lot of human error…so it’s best to make sure the plastic is ready for recycling before it hits the bin.

To The Cutting Board: After sorting, the plastic is washed and chopped into flakes.

It’s All Afloat: At some recycling plants, if mixed plastics are being recycled together, they are sorted using a flotation tank, where some types of plastic will sink or float depending upon weight.

The Heat Is On: The plastic flakes are then dried and melted.

Making The Cut: The molten plastic is filtered one more time to remove any contaminants that were missed in the washing process and then cut into strands.

Pelletizing: The plastic strands are cooled and chopped into uniform pellets where they can be sold to manufacturers to make new products. Recycled plastic can be used to make new plastic containers, clothing (like fleece), luggage, carpeting, and even fiberfill for sleeping bags or winter coats.

Need to dazzle the kids with more recycling info? Check out these posts:

The Green Parent Guide to Recycling

Stop Catalogs With The Click of A Mouse
Reuse and Recycle Old Magazines
E-Cycling: The Green Parent’s Guide to Disposing of Electronic Gadgets
Test Your Trash Can I.Q.
Recycling 101

Recycle This!