PLASTIC RECYCLING
Plastic containers, packaging and wraps account for about 8% of the volume of solid waste in landfills, but because of their bulkiness, plastics take up to 20 to 30 % of landfill space. Plastic packaging comprises 25% of the plastics produced each year and over 50% of the plastics found in municipal waste.
Because products are packaged in various types of plastics, these plastics need to be easily identified for sorting and processing purposes before they can be recycled. The Plastic Bottle Industry has designed a national voluntary coding system for the most common plastics (which range from 1 to 7) can be found on the bottoms of the containers.
At this time, William Paterson University only collects code #1 ( PET polyethyleneterephthalate) and code #2 (HDPE high-density polyethylene). PET #1 are clear beverage bottles such as plastic soda bottles. HDPE #2 are milk bottles, liquid detergent and shampoo bottles, and bottled water.
These are clearly marked on the containers with the number inside the recycling symbol. We combine plastic, glass and aluminum in one recycling container.
If you have any questions, please call Val Weiss, WPUNJ’s
Recycling Coordinator at ext. 3248
or send him an E-mail @ weissv@wpunj.edu