A number of the most frequent questions I get requested on this web site are about plastics recycling. And one kind of plastic that’s significantly troublesome for most individuals is polypropylene, or #5 plastic, additionally referred to as 5 PP. Many meals merchandise come packaged in #5 plastic tubs. A number of the commonest #5 plastic gadgets are soup takeout containers, and dairy tubs like butter tubs, yogurt tubs, cream cheese tubs and so forth. Let’s talk about the present state of #5 plastic recycling in america.

Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work Very Properly

For many people, a larger number of plastic merchandise was once accepted in our recycling bins once we despatched our recycling to China, after which in 2017 when China stopped taking our recyclables, many recycling packages within the U.S. began limiting acceptable plastics to bottles and jugs solely, or just not taking any plastic in any respect. Go to this text for a extra in-depth dialogue of why plastics recycling is within the state it’s in.

Then there was once just a few packages that may settle for #5 plastic by way of drop-off or mail-in packages, the principle one being a program referred to as “Gimme 5” which was run by an organization named Protect. They accepted #5 plastics in drop-off bins at Entire Meals shops and you may additionally mail #5 plastic to them. However that program went on maintain since at begin of the Covid-19 pandemic after which was utterly eradicated as of summer season 2022.

Go to this hyperlink for extra details about Protect’s resolution to cancel this program.

That was just about the final free (or no less than free apart from mailing prices) possibility obtainable to anybody who doesn’t have native possibility for recycling #5 plastic, and now it’s gone too. I shall be consistently searching for new avenues for recycling this sort of plastic, however sadly, proper now in case your neighborhood doesn’t take #5 plastic, there simply aren’t any good choices.

Methods to Recycle #5 Plastic for the Additional Motivated

• Buy a Terracycle field. If you’re REALLY motivated to recycle #5 plastic polypropylene tubs, you may buy a Dairy Tubs Terracyle field. After you fill the field, you’ll ship it again to Terracycle and they’re going to recycle the plastic into new merchandise. That is an costly possibility for house use (a small field begins at $76), however it may make sense for a retail institution to carry individuals within the door, or maybe for a faculty.
• Discover somebody in one other local people that accepts #5 plastic to take your tubs. I throw this feature in as a result of in case your county is like mine, we have now a number of totally different waste haulers and every metropolis contracts on their very own. The city proper subsequent to mine lately began accepting #5 once more, however mine nonetheless doesn’t. So I collect up my #5 plastics and provides them to a pal in that city who recycles it for us. You may also be capable to drop it at that metropolis’s recycling switch station if they permit drop-off gadgets from non-residents.
• Prescription bottles may be mailed to Matthew 25 Ministries.
• Discover a member of Valuable Plastic close to you. There’s a rising worldwide neighborhood of DIY plastic recyclers which can be being organized below the identify “Valuable Plastic.” You possibly can examine the Valuable Plastic Neighborhood Map and see if there are any teams close to you that may settle for #5 plastic at a drop-off web site.

Sadly, that is about it in your choices to recycle 5 PP plastic. If you already know of any group that takes #5 plastic whether or not by drop-off or by mail-in, please let me know, as a result of I do know individuals are searching for an outlet for recycling these merchandise.

[ This article was updated on Oct. 10, 2022 ]