Ever consider what happens to the plastic bottle after you throw it in the trash? Can plastic water bottles be recycled? The answer to the question is Yes. you can recycle plastic water bottles.
Polyethylene terephthalate, also referred to as PET plastic, or HDPE (high-density polyethylene), is the material used to make the majority of plastic water bottles. Typically recyclable plastics, these two materials are gathered as part of curbside recycling programs.
You must read this article in its entirety because it contains a wealth of information. How to properly recycle plastic water bottles will be demonstrated to you. So, dive in!
Table of Contents
Can You Recycle Plastic Water Bottles?
Recycling has become such a common practice in modern society that it affects almost everything. Water bottles made of plastic are not an exception, of course. In a nutshell, the answer to our topical query, “Can you recycle plastic water bottles?” is yes. you can recycle plastic water bottles. It is made of plastic, as the name would imply, and almost all plastic materials can be converted into new materials.
The main ingredient in most plastic water bottles is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This plastic part is very flexible, lightweight, and recyclable without a doubt. The recyclable nature of the plastic bottles is due to the PET plastic material. In light of this, it is reasonable to assume that your plastic water bottle is not likely recyclable if it is not made of PET. So, before recycling your plastic water bottles, you might want to take a moment to check to see if they contain polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Read More: Can Wine Bottles Be Recycled?
Are Water Bottles Biodegradable?
We can appreciate your interest in learning more about water bottles’ biodegradability. They do, in fact, decompose. The fact that their parts, which are either plastic or glass, are capable of biodegradation, should not at all be a surprise.
You should note that plastics will not naturally biodegrade except if they are subjected to industrial processing of biodegradation. However, there are bottles that can biodegrade without the need for a lengthy process because they are made of biodegradable plastic.
Keep in mind, though, that the biodegrading process is very different and takes a very long time. Water bottles made of glass and plastic take a very long time to biodegrade. Even though it’s sometimes believed that they will never degrade naturally, after a very long time, they eventually begin to degrade gradually. In actuality, a large portion of the glass and plastic water bottles currently in use will probably outlive us and end up in the landfill if they are not recycled.
Additionally, it takes 3 to 6 months for biodegradable plastics to break down. Environmental aspects like the surrounding area’s environment and moisture levels have an impact on this as well.
Are Water Bottles Caps Recyclable?
After looking at the potential for recycling water bottles generally. Let’s move on to evaluate the likelihood of recycling their caps. Succinctly put, Yes, you can recycle bottle caps.
This might be a little confusing, especially if you’ve heard that bottle caps need to be removed before recycling bottles. Most bottles are made of plastic or metal, and both of these materials can be recycled.
The most crucial thing to remember is that before recycling bottle caps, you must unscrew them from the container and separate them from the water bottle. In addition, you can reuse the caps from water bottles.
So, if you were wondering, you now know the answer! You are welcome to drop off your water bottle caps at the recycling facility. First, make sure that any recycling facility you visit accepts such. Once they give their approval, you can move forward.
Can You Recycle Glass Water Bottles?
As long as your plastic water bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), you already know for a fact that you can probably recycle them. But the recycling of bottles is a problem that extends beyond plastics. You’ve come to the right place if you’ve been wondering whether it’s possible to recycle glass water bottles as well. keep reading to find out.
Glass water bottles can be recycled, after all. Take them to a recycling facility or manufacturing facility and have them recycled; that’s all there is to it. Glass water bottles are recycled differently than other bottles because they are frequently crushed into tiny pieces called “cullet.” In turn, this broken piece can be gathered, sorted, and blended to create new bottles in a variety of sizes and hues.
It would interest you to know that recycling glass bottle has certain advantages such as;
- It saves money because recycling glass water bottles uses a lot less energy than producing new glass bottles, which would require a lot more energy.
- Additionally, recycling glass bottles contributes to a 20% reduction in air pollution and a 50% reduction in water pollution.
- Glass water bottle recycling contributes to landfill space being made available.
How to Recycle Plastic Bottles?
Below are some tips to help you recycle plastic watter bottles.
Leave the Caps On
When considering how to recycle plastic bottles, it’s typical for people to want to take the caps off. Most municipalities only accept water bottle caps that have been tightly wound around the bottle for recycling. Separated caps cause havoc on machinery, sending it to the dump or halting production. Replace the cap immediately after drinking your water to avoid this.
Crush Your Bottle
Remove the cap from the water bottle, squeeze out all of the air, and then firmly replace the cap. This will effectively crush the bottle. The bottle will be able to maintain its new compact shape thanks to the trapped suction, making more room in your bin for other recyclables.
Additionally, the processing facility has more room, which eliminates the need for expansion and enables more valuable recycling to take place. It serves as an illustration of the beneficial effects that properly recycling plastic bottles can have after they leave your house.
No Need to Rinse
Water bottles don’t require rinsing, whereas other bottles, cans, and jars do. They shouldn’t be cleaned, but they should be emptied and clear of any observable liquid.
Don’t Bag ‘Em
When recycling plastic bottles, keep in mind not to put your water bottles or any other recyclables in a bag. Items in bags make the process more difficult to complete or slow it down. Although it may appear that you are improving conditions for the recycling facility, this is not the case. Processing plants will lose man hours removing the bags because they cannot be recycled. Water bottles should be disposed of in your recycling bin or a public bin that is unrestricted.
What Can You Do With Old Water Bottles?
Your old water bottles may not interest you anymore, or you may simply not want them lying around your home. There are a ton of ways you can make active reuse of your used water bottles rather than throwing them away and likely littering the landfill. Let’s look at some of these approaches.
1. Make a Sprinkler and Bottle Feeders
If you have a lawn or outdoor plants, you may choose to use your old water bottles as sprinklers to maintain their happiness. All you have to do is poke holes through them, connect the water hose, and secure it with tape. Watch your sprinklers come to life by turning on the faucet. You can also use your old water bottles as bird feeders.
2. Create a Wall of Art
As absurd as it may sound, you can use your used water bottles to make a wall of art. To make an artistic and aesthetically pleasing craft project using water bottles, all you need to do is collect various plastic bottles in various colors.
3. Make a Piggy Bank
A piggy bank can be made out of a plastic water bottle. To put your money inside the bottle cap, simply make a small cut in the cap. You can promote good saving habits both within yourself and among those close to you in this way.
4. Make Storage Containers
The containers you use for storage can be recycled water bottles. As long as they fit into the bottles correctly, you are free to store whatever you want in them. By doing this, you can also save money on storage container purchases.
5. Home Accessories and Party Decorations
You can make fantastic party decorations from an old water bottle, especially for outdoor gatherings. These water bottles can also be used to make toys and various other kid’s crafts. A supply cup, a bottle planter, and other home accessories can also be made out of them.
Read More: Can You Bring A Water Bottle On A Plane?
The Importance of Recycling Plastic Water Bottles
The number of Americans who use and drink from water bottles each year is at least 60 million. Imagine what will transpire if you continue to disregard its disposal.
To protect our environment, we must recycle plastic beverage bottles. Plastics are unnecessarily dumped into landfills and the ocean rather than being processed to be recycled, which is a major problem with our waste management system. In a short time, our oceans will have more plastic per ton than fish if we keep consuming plastics the way we currently do.
In addition to considering our waste stream systems, there are better, more environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic bottles. We must act more responsibly now, before it’s too late, if we are to leave the world better off for coming generations.
FAQs
What Percentage of Plastic Water Bottles Are Recycled?
Every year, 35 billion empty water bottles are thrown out by Americans. Of those, only 12 percent are recycled.
Why We Should Not Get Rid of Plastic Water Bottles?
Since then, water sales have risen dramatically, surpassing those of unhealthy, sugary beverages. The problem would not be solved and the rates of diabetes and obesity would rise if people were not given the option of drinking water bottles. Instead, they would be more likely to choose soda bottles.
