Plastics Explained

What is Plastic?

Plastic is a manufactured material mainly made from natural gas, oil, and coal. Plastics are synthetic polymers consisting of long, repeating chains of molecules that are chemically bonded together through human processes. While polymers do exist in nature, such as cellulose in plants, the plastics we use today are synthetic and do not occur naturally. 

Plastic is flexible, durable, lightweight, and can be molded into various forms, which explains its widespread use in so many products. In its infancy, the use of plastic revolutionized medicine, enabled space travel, and helped conserve fuel by making cars and jets lightweight. (Source: National Geographic worlds-plastic-pollution-crisis-explained.) 

However, plastic’s convenience resulted in a plastics crisis, partly due to its excessive use as a disposable single-use product. 40% of the plastic produced each year is for single-use packaging and this figure is increasing rapidly. According to a global analysis study published in the journal Science Advances, half of all plastics ever produced have been manufactured in the last 15 years, and half of that becomes trash in less than a year. The same durable properties that make plastics so useful also make them impossible to completely break down. Plastic takes more than 400 years to degrade but never entirely disappears; it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, leading to the accumulation of microplastics in the environment. 

Our plastic waste problem has become one of the most urgent environmental concerns. The rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products is outpacing our ability to manage them.

Plastics Recyclability

With the rise of single-use plastic and the resulting waste, recycling was falsely touted as a way to curb it. However, only 9% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic ever produced has been recycled. According to UNEP, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. Half of all the plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes – used just once and then thrown away.

Reduce, reuse, then recycle was how recycling was intended to fit within the circular economy. In the United States, the common message to consumers to responsibly recycle plastic containers is to look for the recycling chasing arrows symbol with numbers #1-#7. However, the chasing arrows symbol was actually created to communicate with producers, not consumers, about the type of plastic used in the item's construction. The number inside the triangle does not necessarily indicate the item is recyclable and the recycling symbol as a whole does not guarantee recyclability. Several factors affect plastic's recyclability, including the type of plastic, its ability to be effectively recovered, and the existence of markets for that specific plastic type. There are also limits on how many times plastic can be recycled. A simple guideline consumers can use is that most plastic bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs are recyclable, so these items can be placed in your curbside cart or taken to your drop-off recycling location without any issues.

At Recycle Ann Arbor’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), we only accept what can REALLY be recycled. #1 and #2 plastic bottles, jars, and jugs have the strongest domestic recycling markets, followed by #5 plastic tubs with snap-on lids. These plastics are accepted due to robust markets that support their recycling. #5 PP typically has a low recovery rate, but it is regionally recycled here and, therefore, accepted. 100% of the recyclable plastics in your recycling program get recycled and turned back into new products, providing the chance they will get recycled again. We do not accept #3, #4, #6, and #7 plastics because they are highly toxic and the hardest to recover, with no viable end markets. These plastics should be phased out and eliminated. Variations of plastics #1, #2, and #5 that are not bottle, jar, jug, or tub-shaped are more challenging to recover and have a lower likelihood of being recycled due to several factors. Bottles and jugs (containers with a narrower opening compared to the body) are made differently than other containers of the same number, requiring a different type of reprocessing to be made into new products.

The consequence of using the #1-#7 chasing arrows symbol has caused people to focus more on the recycling arrows and numbers rather than the intended message about plastic bottles and tubs. This has led to the needless collection and transportation of non-recyclable plastic packing to recycling facilities, where they have to be sorted and then disposed of. With the increasing variety of plastic packaging, the misused recycling arrows, and limited recycling markets, it has become more difficult to provide education on which plastics are accepted for recycling. Despite these challenges, Recycle Ann Arbor accepts #1, #2, and #5 plastic bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs for recycling until we can phase out single-use plastic entirely.  

Recycling is not the best zero-waste strategy, nor is it a viable or effective solution for the majority of single-use plastic packaging. We know that recycling alone will not solve our waste problem, but it is an important bridge strategy in reducing single-use plastic and minimizing the extraction needed to produce these plastics. We encourage our community members to opt for reusable alternatives to plastic products and, if that's not possible, to choose non-plastic packaging options. If all else fails, please recycle what is acceptable in your recycling program. Click here for tips on how you can reduce and reuse single-use plastics. 

Guide to Plastics #1 - #7

#1 PET or PETE Polyethylene Terephthalate

RECYCLABILITY: Plastic bottle and jar shapes labeled #1 PET and thermoform PET (clear clamshell containers) are accepted in curbside recycling carts and at the Drop-Off Station and Recovery Yard. PET bottles are the most recyclable single-use plastic, with a 57% recovery rate in Michigan. Non-bottle shaped #1 PET are less commonly recycled due to lack of markets.     

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #1 PET: Plastic beverage containers (soft drink, water, and juice bottles, etc.), plastic food containers (peanut butter, salad dressing, clamshell containers, etc.), shampoo, conditioner, body wash, dish soap, vitamins, and household cleaner bottles.

All Recycle Ann Arbor PET is recycled back into PET bottles

ALSO USED IN THESE RECYCLED CONTENT PRODUCTS: Food and beverage bottles and containers, textiles, polyester, carpet, luggage, and furniture.

#2 HDPE High-Density Polyethylene

RECYCLABILITY: Rigid plastic natural and colored bottle, jar, and jug shapes labeled #2 HDPE are accepted in curbside recycling carts and at the Drop-Off Station and Recovery Yard. Non-bottle shapes of #2 HDPE are less commonly recycled due to a lack of markets. Empty, clean, and dry #2 shopping bags are accepted for recycling at the Drop-Off Station and at many retail stores, including most grocery stores. Do not put plastic bags and film in your curbside recycling cart. They cause major problems and can jam up the machinery, causing damage and delays and creating unsafe conditions for our workers. 

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #2 HDPE: Consumer product bottles (shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, milk jugs, vinegar jugs, cleaning product containers) and grocery/retail bags.

All Recycle Ann Arbor HDPE is recycled back into HDPE bottles. #2 bags are recycled into composite plastic lumber.

ALSO USED IN THESE RECYCLED CONTENT PRODUCTS: Bottles, pipes, buckets, crates, flower pots, raised garden beds, floor tiles, and composite plastic lumber.

#3 V or PVC Polyvinyl Chloride 

RECYCLABILITY: #3 PVC plastic of any shape is not recyclable and not accepted in any Recycle Ann Arbor recycling division. #3 plastic is not easily recyclable in traditional recycling systems due to its high toxicity and lack of markets. Just one #3 PVC bottle can contaminate an entire half-ton of water bottles meant for recycling.

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #3 PVC: Plastic bottles, packaging for electronics and toys, shower curtains, door and window frames, pipes, tubing, kids’ toys, bank/membership cards, vinyl flooring.

#4 Low-Density Polyethylene 

RECYCLABILITY: Bottle and tub shaped plastic labeled #4 LDPE are not recyclable and not accepted in any Recycle Ann Arbor recycling program. Empty, clean, and dry #4 bags are accepted for recycling at the Drop-Off Station and at many retail stores, including most grocery stores. Do not put plastic bags and film in your curbside recycling cart. They cause major problems and can jam up the machinery, causing damage and delays and creating unsafe conditions for our workers.

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #4 LDPE:  Squeezable bottles (ketchup, honey, mustard, etc.)

COMMON PRODUCTS UNMARKED OR UNLABELED: Shrink wrap, greenhouse film, stretch wrap, bubble wrap, air pillows, consumer product wrap (toilet paper, paper towel), other bags (grocery bags, thicker newspaper bags, bread bags, clear plastic dry-cleaning garment bags.

All Recycle Ann Arbor #4 bags/film are recycled into composite plastic lumber.

ALSO USED IN THESE RECYCLED CONTENT PRODUCTS: Shipping envelopes, garbage can liners.

#5 PP Polypropylene

RECYCLABILITY: Plastic bottle and tub shapes labeled #5 PP are accepted in curbside recycling carts and at the Drop-Off Station and Recovery Yard. #5 plastic is not generally collected with most recycling programs but is an accepted material in Recycle Ann Arbor’s single-stream recycling. Black plastic food containers are not recyclable and are not accepted in any Recycle Ann Arbor recycling division.  

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #5 PP: Cottage cheese, butter, sour cream, yogurt tubs, and individual yogurt cups, some food bottles (ketchup, etc.)

ALSO USED IN THESE RECYCLED CONTENT PRODUCTS: Landscape borders, car battery cases, bottle caps, brooms, oil funnels.

#6 PS Polystyrene

RECYCLABILITY: (A) Plastic containers labeled #6 PS or polystyrene (most commonly known as Styrofoam) of any shape is not recyclable and not accepted in any Recycle Ann Arbor recycling program. Polystyrene is one of the most toxic plastics and it is recommended that it be avoided where possible. (B) #6 Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam commonly used as packaging material, is accepted for recycling at the Drop-Off Station. 

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #6 PS: Polystyrene (egg cartons, carry-out food containers, packing peanuts, etc.)

USED IN THESE RECYCLED CONTENT PRODUCTS: Plastic picture frames

#7 Any other plastic

RECYCLABILITY: Plastic containers labeled #7 of any shape are not recyclable and not accepted in any Recycle Ann Arbor recycling division. These plastics are highly toxic and made up of a mix of multiple materials such as PVC, PLA, BPA, or just layers of #5 PP and nylon or rayon. The unknown mixture of #7 plastic resins makes it difficult to recycle and, therefore, has no market. It is recommended that #7 plastics be avoided where possible, especially for food.  

COMMON PRODUCTS MARKED OR LABELED AS #7: Nalgene (or similar) bottles, CDs, some food and non-food product containers, car parts.