Reportedly Low Recycling Rates for Single-Use Plastic Bottles
Published: 11 July 2007
Category: Bisphenol A (BPA), Packaging CONCERNS, Phthalates, Recycling
According to the Phoenix Arizona Republic and the Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) single-use plastic bottles are frequently littered with a recycling rate of 23 percent, which is lower than any of the most common packaging materials (according to the Container Recycling Institute). The article reports, “18 million barrels of crude-oil equivalent were consumed in 2005 to replace the 2 million tons of PET bottles that were wasted instead of recycled.” The article further reports that some plastic bottles may contain chemicals called phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), which can allegedly leach into the liquids contained.