Recycling By the Numbers

Bottles

Over 2.6 billion pounds of plastic bottles were recycled in the United States in 2010, and a recent national report found that 94 percent of Americans can recycle plastic bottles in their community (full report here). 

Containers

At least 934 million pounds of “rigid” plastics including rigid containers—the category of plastics that includes things like yogurt cups, dairy tubs and lids—were recycled in 2011, nearly triple the amount for 2007. A recent study also found that access to recycling of many types of these rigid containers (HDPE, PP, PET, LDPE) now exceeds 60 percent of the population—the level which the Federal Trade Commission has set for unqualified claims of recyclability.

Bags and Film

In 2011, an estimated one billion pounds of plastic bags and wraps, the category of plastics that includes things like grocery and retail bags, newspaper bags, dry cleaning bags, and wraps from bread, bathroom tissue, paper towels, beverage cases, diapers and baby wipes, were recycled in the United States—up 55 percent from 2005 (see full report).

Energy recovery

Energy recovery is a process that converts wastes into new feedstocks (raw materials) or renewable energy. Energy recovery today powers homes and businesses.  

The hydrocarbons that make up most plastic packaging are a source of energy. For example, common plastic foodservice products supply more than 16,000 BTUs (similar to the big burner on a stove) per pound in a “waste-to-energy” facility. That’s approximately twice as much energy per pound as coal. Rather than burying this stored energy in landfills, communities can recapture it. Here’s an overview of how plastics’ stored energy powers homes and businesses...or dig deeper.

Landfills and biodegradability

Few concepts cause as much confusion as biodegradability (or degradability). Popular culture has led many to believe that burying the nation’s waste in landfills is sort of like creating big compost heaps, and eventually all the waste will just go away. In fact, modern landfills are designed to minimize the breakdown of waste. So contrary to popular belief, most garbage does not readily biodegrade in them. Instead, a large plot of land is filled with a community’s waste (except construction debris and hazardous materials)—once filled, the space is covered and often utilized as an airport, a park, or another function.

Many plastics do not biodegrade to any significant degree, while some do so very slowly if exposed to air, water and light—these are best recycled or used for their stored energy. Some plastics have been engineered to biodegrade reasonably quickly in a large composting facility that intentionally accelerates biodegradation in a highly controlled environment using copious air, water and light. These plastics also will break down eventually if left alone in the environment—but much more slowly since the environment does not “intentionally accelerate” biodegradation. However, similar to other biodegradable materials, they likely will not break down in modern landfills. » learn more

Litter/marine litter

Litter is a disgusting blight on our landscape, caused primarily by irresponsible behavior. Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the nation''s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, has cited real progress in addressing litter: KAB reported in 2009 that overall litter has decreased 61% since 1969.

Too often litter makes its way onto beaches and into rivers and oceans. Marine litter has no geographic or political boundaries, so solutions must involve international partnerships and be global in scope. Solutions are focused on preventing all types of litter from entering our waterways and oceans. » learn more

Although marine litter is made up of all sorts of materials and products, relatively lightweight plastics often float, making some plastics more visible than other types of marine debris. Photographs of the ocean floor identify other problems, such as bottles, cans and all sorts of marine equipment and other refuse. As much as 70 percent of marine debris sinks to the ocean floor, according to the United Nations Environmental Program.

Some people have suggested that non-biodegradable litter should be specially targeted. However, behavioral studies suggest that litterers may feel less concerned about carelessly tossing “degradable” packaging, assuming that it just “goes away.” Litter studies find large numbers of biodegradable materials (newspapers, snack wrappers, tissues) that do not simply go away. » learn more about packaging and litter

Life-cycle

To measure sustainability, scientists and others often use a “life-cycle” approach that inventories and analyzes the various results of making and using products, including packaging. For example, a life-cycle inventory of plastic packaging may identify energy use, air and greenhouse gas emissions, water use and emissions, solid waste production, environmental and human health factors and more—and then compare these to other types of packaging. A life-cycle analysis takes this further and weighs the actual impacts on the environment and human health—and then may make a comparison.

Plastics often compare favorably in many areas included in life-cycle inventories and analyses, so their use can result in improved sustainability. For example, one study shows that, across various market sectors, using plastics instead of alternative materials helps reduce energy use by 26 percent and curbs greenhouse gas emissions by 56 percent. Another study found that recycling plastics (specifically PET and HDPE) results in significant savings in energy and greenhouse gas emissions. » learn more

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