Recycling plastic bottles

Every year, millions of plastic bottles are collected at the recycling centres, in banks and via kerbside collection schemes throughout Nottinghamshire for recycling.

Did you know?

• Most plastic is made from oil, although coal and natural gas is also used
• Plastics production accounts for about 4 percent of oil consumption
• There are about 50 different types of plastic, each with their own characteristics
• Plastics can be light, flexible and tough. For these reasons, plastic is often used for packaging
• It takes just 25 two litre pop bottles to make one adult size fleece jacket
• Plastics account for 7 percent of household waste, by weight.

Tips for recycling plastics

• To recycle plastic it must be clean.
• Remove all lid tops.
• Wash all containers and squash if possible.

What are plastic bottles made of?

There are three main types of plastic used to make plastic bottles:

• PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) eg fizzy drink bottles, cordial bottles, cooking oil bottles.
• HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) eg milk and fruit juice bottles, washing up liquid bottles, fabric conditioner bottles.
• PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) eg still mineral water bottles, bottles for toiletries, cordial bottles.

How plastics are recycled

The plastic bottles are delivered to a sorting facility where they're separated into the different polymer types.  

Sorting is often performed by hand or mechanically. Both methods are expensive.

Each polymer type is processed separately. The bottles are washed and granulated. The flakes are dried before being made into new products.

Recycled plastic is used in many products, such as carrier bags, bin liners, clothing and furniture.

What can be made from the different types of plastic?

PET bottles can be recycled to make a variety of end products, including fibre for sleeping bags and anoraks, new packaging, industrial strapping, wall and floor coverings, etc.

Exciting new developments for PET include using the recycled material to make fleece clothing. It takes approximately 25 bottles to make one fleece jacket.

HDPE bottles can be recycled to make a variety of end products, including fences, park benches and signposts. It can also be put back into bottles to be recycled again and again.

PVC bottles can be recycled and used to make a variety of end products, including drainage pipes, electrical fittings and clothing.