Summary:Plastic caps can be found on a wide range of products from soda bottles to shipping containers. They're also used in furniture design, chemical storag...
Plastic caps can be found on a wide range of products from soda bottles to shipping containers. They're also used in furniture design, chemical storage and medical supplies.
Traditionally, recycling plastic bottle caps has been a complicated process because they are made of a different type of plastic than the container they protect. Many cap material is polypropylene (# 5 plastic), while the bottle's body is typically made of either polyethylene terephthalate (PET, or #1 based on resin codes) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE, or #2 based on resin codes).
This means that both the cap and the container must be separated for recycling. Luckily, the technology used for plastics recycling has vastly improved over the years and today's recyclers can handle both types of caps.
If you want to recycle your plastic caps, the first thing you should do is check with your local recycling facility. Some will accept them, while others will ask you to remove them before turning in your bottles.
Some cities will even have an option to drop off your caps at a recycling center instead of throwing them away.
It's important to keep plastic bottles and their lids out of landfill. This will help save our planet from the harmful effects of plastic waste, including the accumulation of marine debris.