Plastic! It’s been given a bad rap. This useful material is great if you recycle and reuse it to help reduce the new production of it. The three r’s of recycling are important actions to put into play in your everyday life. Check Calgary bottle depot hours to find out when you can start the process of recycling for a better, cleaner environment.
Benefits of Recycling at a “Bottle Depot Near Me”
- Reducing Pollutants – Reducing waste means you are reducing what goes into landfills. This aids in minimizing pollution in the air, water, and land.
- Fewer Toxins – Greenhouse gasses are released into the air during the process of creating new products. These toxins are known to be harmful to the environment. When you recycle there is a reduction in the number of these fumes because recycling uses less energy to produce useable products.
- Protects the Ecosystem – Raw materials like plants, oil, and gas are sourced from nature to create plastic. Recycled products can be made without disrupting the ecosystem. This process helps protect wildlife and keeps unwanted plastics out of the water systems.
Did You Know?
There are approximately 300 tonnes of plastic produced in the world each year. Things like beverage containers, plastic bags, clothing, and furniture contain plastic. This makes for a lot of recycling and reusing options. The best way to reduce the economic and environmental impact of plastic waste is to reuse products.
What Can You Reuse Plastic For?
Recycled plastic can be incorporated into or used entirely to make a new purse, some clothing, building materials, food containers, pet homes, grocery bags, and much more. The possibilities are nearly endless.
It is important to know not all plastic can be recycled but you can still do your part to create a better environment by recycling what you can.
What Plastic Can You Recycle?
- Bottles
- Tubs
- Trays
- Pots
- Bags
- Wrapping Paper
Remember, this is a general rule as each area of the world has different rules and regulations regarding recycling. Always check with local municipalities before deciding what items to bring to your recycling centre. Once you know what you can recycle, you can check the Calgary bottle depot hours to make your move.
6 Steps for Recycling Plastic
- Sorted into Polymer Types (there are many types of plastic)
- Shredded
- Cleaned
- Melted
- Made into pellets
- Created into new product
Plastic Types
Plastic is differentiated by the temperature required to heat and melt it. The number, known as the resin identification code (RIC) on your plastic product helps you know how recyclable it is. #1 plastics are highly recyclable, but many plastic items can generally only be recycled once before becoming too weak to reuse in making other products. A #7 means the plastic is non-recyclable but biodegradable under the right conditions. These products are usually made from a variety of different plastics making them a poor choice for the environment.
Quality Matters
Clean plastic is the only way to recycle. When plastic becomes contaminated, it can render your product unrecyclable. Products left inside plastic containers lead to mould and bacteria, both of which are undesirable when recycling. So, take time to do a quick rinse of the plastics you are about to recycle to avoid having your products end up in a landfill. Cleaning your plastic items also reduces unwanted smells in your recycling bins.
How to Encourage Plastic Recycling?
- Get your government to introduce more recycling depots near you
- Host a bottle drive to encourage your community to recycle
- Try to get recycling information presented in schools to educate children on this initiative when they are young
- Encourage the use of recycling bins in your home and office
- Get creative and make something new like a pot for growing herbs and flowers out of that old plastic bottle you have laying around
Ways to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
- Always carry reusable bags with you when going to the grocery store
- Think of ways to reuse products before you throw them in the garbage
- Donate your plastic items
- Avoid single-use plastic whenever possible
- Use a thermos for your beverages so you don’t need to buy bottled products
Plastic Endings and a New Beginning
The world is now going to single-use plastic banning so what better time than any to start reducing, reusing, and recycling all your plastic goods? Call us at Happy Can Bottle Depot for our Calgary bottle depot hours to organize your recycling. Help keep the environment clean for future generations.
