Plastic recycling process

Plastics are sorted into 4 different categories at the recycling facility.

• # 1 PET plastic (water and soda bottles, to-go containers)
• # 2 HDPE natural plastic (milk jugs, water jugs)
• # 2 HDPE color plastic (laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner bottles)
• # 5 PP plastic (yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream containers)

After sorting, plastics are formed into bales to be shipped to processors and recyclers. 

The first step in the recycling process is to grind plastics into 'flake'. The flake is washed and then molded into pellets. Pellets are shipped to various companies across the country to be made into the thousands of plastic items we see and use daily. 

Watch a video of the recycling sorting process or sign up to tour the recycling facility

Plastic bags

Learn what plastic films can be recycled through store drop-offs

Recycling in bags

Black plastics

There are several challenges with black plastics. 

1. They come in all types (plastic number).
   • There are black yogurt containers, hair and body products. If they were all the same type of plastic, a different sorting method could be used. Since they're multiple types, sorting them is too difficult.
2. They are not easy to sort.
   • An optical sorter is used to sort plastics by type (plastic number). The optical sorter shoots a laser beam on the item. The color black absorbs that laser beam instead of sending a signal back to the system.
3. There are weak markets for them.
   • Since they can't be turned into another color, there are weak markets for black plastics. If no one wants to buy them, it doesn't make financial sense for recyclers to figure out effective ways to sort them out. 

Utensils and straws

Utensils and straws are too small to be sorted correctly. Their non-standard shape means they'll fall through the sorting equipment and end up in the crushed glass. They will eventually be removed and thrown away. 

Large plastic items