How Plastic Recycling Actually Works

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What happens to plastic bottles when you recycle them? Do they get made into fresh bottles, or do they become something else? This week on Reactions, learn why it's easier to turn bottles into workout shirts than it is to fully recycle the plastic.

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Credits:
Producer: Sean Parsons
Writer: George Zaidan
Scientific Consultants: Wim Thielemans, PhD;Michelle Boucher, PhD
Executive Producer: George Zaidan
Fact Checker: Alison Le

Music:
"Apero Hour," by Kevin MacLeod

Sources:

Ever wonder why dogs sniff each others' butts? Or how Adderall works? Or whether it's OK to pee in the pool? We've got you covered: Reactions a web series about the chemistry that surrounds you every day.

Produced by the American Chemical Society.

[ACSReactions]

Mixing different colors of plastic makes it harder to recycle. You can't take those colors out, so they mix together and go all muddy. And muddy-looking plastic isn't great for reuse.

[Timbrock]

FORGET RECYCLING, FORGET PLASTIC BOTTLES! What we should do is go back to what we did some 30+ years ago. You would buy your soda, drink it, and when you were done, put the GLASS bottle into a box or bag and return it to the store. The store would give you 5 cents per bottle (maybe around 15 to 20 cents today). The bottles would then be sent back to the bottling plant, they would be steam cleaned ( which destroyed any dried syrup, residue, etc., and would sterilize the bottle.) and placed on the production line to be filled with soda, and repeat the process.
Not recycling, reusing. Simpler, faster, and cheaper than recycling!

[bigboat]

2:52 the problem with polyester/woven plastic fibers is that they tend to produce microscopic flakes in the washing machine, which then infiltrates the water system. we don't filter these particles out of our drinking water, so we end up digesting these fibers, which cross the blood-brain barrier.

[Felixkeeg]

2:42 Well, you could do it the European way. You pay a little extra (0.25€ per bottle) when you buy them. And when they're empty you take them back to really any store that sells PET bottles and receive your 25 cents back. The store will then have the crushed bottles be transported to a recycling facility.
There's no extra cost for the consumer and the PET retains most of it's quality in the process.

[dly]

Hello. I'm a korean viewer and I thought that this video is very useful. So, I made korean subtitles for it. I hope you confirm it so many koreans can see this video. Thank you

[Stone_]

In Japan, We're required to separate and clean PET bottles (and other recyclables) as consumers, before pickup. Every collection day is a certain type of garbage collected (For example, PET bottles on Monday, Burnable on Tuesday, Glass on Wednesday, Metal Cans on Thursday, Paper on Friday, and Burnable again on Saturday). If your garbage is not properly separated and sorted, or is the wrong type, It simply won't be collected, and a note will be left on the bag saying "This is the wrong type of garbage, Please sort, or take out on the proper day" . If you don't take care of it, neighbors can complain and the property owner (in tern individual tenants) can be fined.

As a result, Japan has super-efficient large-scale recycling. In addition, we have extremely efficient and modernized industrial incinerators and recycling facilities.

[RudieObias]

Which is why I always carry around a reusable aluminum water bottle (along with reusable grocery shopping bags).

[sddfg]

So what were those sorters doing? It sure didn't look like sorting to me.

[rynieryarom]

What about "biodegradable plastics"? Are they really biodegradable and how do they work?

[vonfolta]

an additional piece of information: PET is the only plastic that can be recycled at a high (95%) efficiency rate but only makes up 15-20% of all the plastic that falls under the category of recyclable.

[DreadAnon]

why i'd recognise that bong-addled voice anywhere

[fingernailclipper]

We all know recycling is good.. but it is definitely better if we just try to refuse plastic.




Who’s with me?

[franksalvatore]

If recycled plastic cannot be made into bottles it can be made into something else which is useful. Less plastic lying around.

[seanpeters]

Reduce (e.g. cut back on materials we use), reuse (e.g. reusable water bottles), and if the first 2 options aren't available, recycle.

[Nawal]

Are you supposed to remove the cap or leave the cap on?

[BonnieBlueA]

A few years ago I recall seeing a video of a man in Japan who had developed a table-top plastic recycling machine that people could place in their homes. I turned the plastic into useable petroleum. I wonder, what ever happened to that?

[fuzzyapplebong]

What if there was a re-using facility paired up with our recycling facilities that we send not bent up plastic materials like containers from flame broiler to be washed and re-used or sold?

[springhillumc]

One of the best videos on PET and recycling, great job and thanks!

[LaceNWhisky]

Wouldn't it be possible to clean and re-use some products, like some kinds of bottles, without completely breaking them down and reforming them?

[elizabethmears]

Why not ask the factories to put a bin out side of the super market to recycle all their own plastic bottles.
Having them sorted if they are damaged and not in perfect condition they get recycled.
The rest of the bottles get a new label on them and refilled with the product.
As in non food products.
It will cut down on how many bottles recycled.