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How to Recycle Plastic
US plastic recycling is 8.7% overall (EPA 2018). PET (#1) bottles reach 30.2% (NAPCOR 2024) and HDPE natural bottles 29.3% (EPA 2018). Empty bottles, leave caps on, and send bags to store drop-off, not curbside.
13 materials covered7 recyclable
PET Bottles (#1)
Clear polyethylene terephthalate bottles for water, soda, and other beverages. NAPCOR's 2024 report puts the US PET bottle recycling rate at 30.2% (down from 32.5% in 2023), with North America collection at 39.2% and average rPET content in US PET bottles at 15.9%.
Learn how to recycle PET Bottles (#1)
HDPE Containers (#2)
High-density polyethylene jugs and bottles for milk, juice, laundry detergent, shampoo, and household cleaners. Natural (unpigmented) HDPE has higher recycling value than colored HDPE. EPA reported a 29.3% recycling rate for HDPE natural bottles in 2018.
Learn how to recycle HDPE Containers (#2)
PVC Pipes (#3)
Polyvinyl chloride pipe, fittings, siding, and some rigid containers. Chlorine content and additives make PVC incompatible with PET/HDPE bottle recycling streams, so household programs exclude it.
Learn how to recycle PVC Pipes (#3)
Plastic Bags (#4)
Shopping bags, bread bags, newspaper sleeves, dry-cleaning bags, and other thin polyethylene films (#2/#4 PE). Most US curbside programs reject them because film wraps around sorting equipment. Store Drop-off (How2Recycle) and networks such as NexTrex collect clean PE film for recycling into products like composite lumber.
Learn how to recycle Plastic Bags (#4)
Polypropylene Containers (#5)
Rigid polypropylene tubs, some bottles, and many plastic bottle caps. PP demand has improved, so more MRFs recover #5 tubs than a decade ago, yet coverage is uneven compared with PET and HDPE bottles.
Learn how to recycle Polypropylene Containers (#5)
Polystyrene Foam (#6)
Expanded or extruded polystyrene used for foodservice: foam cups, clamshell takeout boxes, and foam meat/produce trays marked #6 PS. This page covers food-contact foam, not densified EPS packing blocks (see Expanded Polystyrene).
Learn how to recycle Polystyrene Foam (#6)
Mixed Plastics (#7)
Resin code #7 OTHER: polycarbonate, multi-layer packaging, some compostable bioplastics, and other plastics that are not #1-#6. Household curbside programs almost never recover #7 as a standard stream.
Learn how to recycle Mixed Plastics (#7)
Agricultural Film
LDPE and similar films used on farms: mulch film, silage and hay wrap, greenhouse covers, and tunnel film. Recycling requires clean-enough, dry film delivered to ag-plastics collectors. Do not confuse this stream with ACRC's rigid container program.
Learn how to recycle Agricultural Film
Six-Pack Rings
Photo-degradable or conventional plastic ring carriers that hold multi-packs of cans or bottles. Thin ring carriers tangle sorting equipment and are excluded from standard PE film drop-off lists such as NexTrex.
Learn how to recycle Six-Pack Rings
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
Expanded polystyrene packaging foam: white block cushioning, foam coolers, and molded appliance inserts. Distinct from foodservice foam cups and trays (see Polystyrene Foam). Both are #6 PS, but drop-off rules and contamination profiles differ.
Learn how to recycle Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
Black Plastic Containers
Black food trays, tubs, and takeout containers; acceptance depends on local sorting technology and the container's material, not its color alone.
Learn how to recycle Black Plastic Containers
Compostable Plastics
Compostable plastic cups, bags, cutlery, and liners; designed for specific composting systems rather than standard plastic recycling.
Learn how to recycle Compostable Plastics
Bulky Rigid Plastic
Large, mostly plastic products that exceed ordinary container sizes, including buckets, storage bins, baskets, and outdoor furniture.
Learn how to recycle Bulky Rigid Plastic
Guides, tools, and research
Continue from individual material instructions to the broader guide, calculator, or research page for this topic.
Plastic recycling guide
Resin codes, local acceptance, preparation, and common exceptions.
Plastic bags and film
Separate store-drop-off film from curbside containers and keep bags out of sorting equipment.
Chip bags and snack wrappers
Check foil-laminated packaging, store-drop-off exclusions, and brand take-back options.
Prevent contamination
Keep bags, food residue, and other problem items out of the wrong stream.
Check a plastic item
Look up a specific item before placing it in a recycling bin.
Find plastic recycling centers
Search recycling centers by city or ZIP, then call ahead to confirm they take plastic.
Complete Plastic Recycling Guide
Understanding Plastic Recycling Numbers
Only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled. The resin code (#1-#7) tells you which kind you are holding, but it is not a promise that anyone takes it. Check your local facility's list.
- • #1 PET: Water bottles, soda bottles - widely recycled
- • #2 HDPE: Milk jugs, detergent bottles - highly recyclable
- • #5 PP: Yogurt containers, bottle caps - increasingly accepted
- • #3, #4, #6, #7: Limited recycling, check locally
Environmental Impact
8 million tons of plastic enter oceans annually. Recycling one ton of plastic saves 5,774 kWh of energy and prevents 16.3 barrels of oil consumption.
What it avoids:
- • Reduces plastic pollution in oceans and landfills
- • Saves 70% energy vs. producing virgin plastic
- • One recycled plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a lightbulb for 3+ hours
- • Creates new products: fleece clothing, carpet, playground equipment
Plastic Recycling FAQ
Do I need to remove labels from plastic bottles?
No. Leave labels on, empty the bottle, give it a quick rinse, and screw the cap back on. The Association of Plastic Recyclers recommends caps on, because loose caps fall through the sorting screens. Follow your local program if its list says otherwise.
Why aren't plastic bags accepted in curbside recycling?
Plastic bags wrap around the spinning screens at sorting facilities and shut the line down for cleaning. Return clean, dry bags to a grocery store film drop-off bin, which takes #2 and #4 plastic film.
Can I recycle black plastic containers?
No. The carbon black pigment absorbs the infrared light that optical sorters use, so black trays and containers end up as residue even when they carry a #1 or #5 code. Put black plastic in the trash unless your program's list names it.
What plastics should I never put in recycling?
Keep plastic bags and film out of curbside carts, and keep chip bags, metallized wrappers, squeezable pouches, and mixed-material packaging out unless a named local or brand program accepts them. Foam and food-soiled containers stay out too.
How clean do plastics need to be?
Empty, clean, and dry is the rule. A quick rinse is enough, with no need to scrub or sterilize. Food residue attracts pests and soaks into paper in a mixed cart, so scrape it out and let containers dry before they go in the bin.
What happens to recycled plastic?
Accepted plastics are sorted by resin and form, then washed, flaked, pelletized, and sold into products such as new containers, fiber, or plastic lumber. The end use depends on the resin, contamination level, processor, and local market.