According to Earth911, recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space from being filled. It’s hard to picture what 7.4 cubic yards is, but it might help to think of it this way: 7.4 cubic yards equal 199.8 cubic feet—which, in reality, is a space that is 199.8 feet long x 199.8 feet wide x 199.8 feet deep! Upon hearing facts like that, it’s clear: Recycling plastic is crucial to keeping our environment healthy.
That’s why we’re proud to say that at Crawford Industries, both of the materials we use to create our packaging— polyethylene and polypropylene—are recyclable. Furthermore, our 2nd Genesis™ line of products is made from recycled milk jugs, which also helps in decreasing landfill waste.
Many people are confused about what they can and can’t recycle, especially when it comes to plastic because there are so many different types. Today, we thought we would share some facts about plastic recycling to clear things up.
Many plastics are marked with a number inside a recycling symbol. This is because each number— #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7—represents the type of resin made to produce the plastic. Each of these resins is different, so these numbers affect how and where you can recycle plastics.
[captionright caption=”Slip cover we made for The Children’s Place with our #2 plastic”]http://crawford-industries.com/files/2012/10/childrens-place-slip-case-300×175.jpg[/captionright]Crawford’s two types of plastics are #2 (polyethylene) and #5 (polypropylene). One of the most common products made from #2 are milk jugs. This type of plastic is widely accepted by most recycling centers and it is often reused to create everything from toys to lumber to rope. This is what our 2nd Genesis™ line of products are made out of!
There are many recycling centers that are starting to take #5 (polypropylene) for curb side pickup as well. Common examples of #5 are ketchup bottles, medicine bottles, aerosol caps, etc. If your community doesn’t have curbside polypropylene recycling, you don’t necessarily have to throw that type of packaging out. According to Earth911, if you have a Whole Foods near you, you can now bring your #5 plastics there.
Still feeling confused about how to recycle plastic? Check out these great resources from Earth911: A full list of all 7 different types of plastic can be found here and a Plastic 101 can be found page here.
At the end of the day, there’s another option to recycling: Reusing! One great thing about our plastic packaging is that it is sturdy, durable, and great to reuse. Furthermore, there are plenty of ways to reuse other types of plastic too. Just see what Earth911 has to show you: 8 Ways & Whys to Reuse Plastic.
Learn more about our green policy.
