HOW TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES

60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away each day in the United States. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these water bottles are not recycled, with a whopping 88% ending up in landfills, waterways, or as litter on the street. Plastic water bottles are extremely harmful to our planet if not disposed of properly, making recycling more important than ever before. In this article, we take a look at how to correctly recycle plastic water bottles, as well as why you should opt to reduce your plastic water bottle use to begin with. 

Put the Water Bottle Cap Back On After Consuming

Did you know that it’s important to put your cap back on your water bottle after consuming? Water bottle caps on their own will not be recycled properly and will end up exactly where you don’t want them – in a landfill.

WhiteWaterNow.com explains why replacing the cap on you water bottle is detrimental to whether it’s recycled:

“Most people forget that recycling can only be done in most municipalities if they include the lid on the water bottle. Separated caps can wreak havoc on equipment sending them to the landfill and causing production to come to a halt. To prevent this from happening, please replace the cap once you have finished.”

Crush Your Bottle

While some crush their water bottles simply out of habit after finishing them, it’s actually best to recycle them this way. Crushing your water bottle and then replacing the cap surprisingly results in a number of benefits that you likely would have never thought of. 

Distilatta tells us why crushing your water bottle before recycling it helps the process in a number of ways:

“To properly crush a water bottle, remove the cap, squeeze out all of the air and then put the cap on the bottle until it is secure. The trapped suction will allow the bottle to stay in its new compact condition, leaving more room in your bin for other recyclables. In addition, space is saved at the processing facility, reducing the need for expansion and enabling more valuable recycling to occur. It’s an example of the positive impact properly recycling plastic bottles can have once it leaves your home.”

Reduce Your Plastic Water Bottle Waste

Of course, reducing your plastic water bottle waste is always the most ideal option when it comes to disposing of plastic water bottles. While plastic water bottles are not reusable, purchasing one that is and filling it up will both save you money and save the environment.

QuenchWater.com explains why not purchasing plastic water bottles in the first place is by far the most ideal solution:

“The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy. In one year, the manufacturing of plastic water bottles burns about 6 million gallons of fuel and releases approximately 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. So, even if you recycle your plastic water bottle, the production of that water bottle has already caused a negative impact on the environment.”

We offer a wide variety of waste disposal options, including how to ensure that your plastic water bottle waste doesn’t end up in a landfill. Reach out to us to see what we can offer you.