Can you recycle plastic bottles and caps? By Anna Kramer

PET is readily recyclable—but we still need to lower our consumption of single-use bottles.

Nearly 600 billion plastic bottles are generated annually across the world.¹ In the United States, plastic bottles are one of the most widely-recycled plastic products. But that rate is still low for these highly-recyclable products—under 30%, according to estimates from the EPA. ²

Plastic drinking bottles are usually made of a type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET), which can easily be recycled into new plastic or, more commonly, into fibrous products like carpeting. More than two-thirds of disposable beverage bottles are made of PET, or #1 plastic, and every recycling facility commonly it.³

The plastic caps on plastic bottles can be recycled attached to their bottles, as well. While the caps are sometimes made of other plastic types, recycling facilities grind bottles and their caps into fine powder-like grounds and then use a water bath float method to separate the PET plastic from the other plastic materials that might have been used in the caps. 

How to recycle a plastic bottle at home

Plastic bottles typically have a #1 label, which means they are made of PET plastic. Bottles used for food storage or cleaning storage might also be made of polyethylene or polypropylene, #2 and #5 respectively. Most facilities also accept #2 plastic.

Once you’ve identified the number on your bottle—technically a resin identification code—to ensure it can be recyclable. The heat and washing processes that occur during recycling will remove the labels and the glue, so don’t worry about taking those off. Don’t bag or crush your bottles, either: Sorting machines are designed for bottle shapes and sizes, and changing their profile could actually make them harder to sort. Then go about recycling them according to the systems set up in your community. 

Where to recycle plastic bottles

PET, the plastic in single-use bottles, is one of the most commonly-recycled plastics out there. Look into your community recycling program first, but it’s very likely they will be recyclable. Plastic bottles may even score you a little bit of cash. Ten states, including California, Connecticut, Iowa, and Hawaii, offer anywhere from 2 to 15 cents for bottles returned to redemption centers or designated grocery stores. 

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