We Earthlings: Recycling Plastic #1

Did you know that recycling just one pound of plastic #1 (also labeled PET or PETE) saves 22.9 kilowatt hours of energy and 47.4 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over producing the same amount of plastic from virgin materials?

Plastic #1 may be best known for its use in the production of soda and water bottles, a common source of litter in the U.S. Yet the U.S. recycled just 29.1 percent of plastic #1 bottles and jars in 2017, and only 8.4 percent of plastics overall. Our planet is covered in plastic pollution. It’s past time to step up recycling efforts worldwide.

Data sources: “Eco-profiles of the European plastics industry,” a report by I Boustead for PlasticsEurope (March 2005) and How Much CO2 Emissions Per kWh of Electricity?

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