How to make every day a recycling day
May 2025
By staying informed, choosing packaging that’s easily recyclable and recycling consistently, you can help build a more sustainable future every day. (courtesy Shutterstock)
story courtesy of Family Features
Recycling can feel confusing with so many mixed messages, but the truth is simpler than you might think. Recycling is a year-round commitment to a healthier planet. Consider these facts and tips about recycling to make a difference.
RECYCLING IS REAL
Americans recycle more than 6 billion pounds of plastic every year. Among the plastics recycled, PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, remains a responsible material choice. PET is the world’s most recycled plastic, with more than 1.8 billion pounds of PET bottles and containers recovered in the U.S. annually. Since PET bottles can be made from 100% post-consumer recycled content, each recycled bottle contributes to a circular economy where materials are continuously reused instead of wasted.
RECYCLING PET PLASTIC
It has been proven that plastics, such as PET, often have a lower environmental impact than other materials. Glass bottles produce three times the greenhouse gas emissions compared to PET bottles, and making an aluminum can produces twice the emissions, according to Life Cycle Assessment studies. Producing PET also uses less energy and water, and lowers acid rain and smog potential. Using and recycling PET is a more responsible, more eco-friendly choice than banning plastic outright.
RECYCLING SAVES ENERGY
Recycling PET bottles requires less energy than producing new glass bottles or aluminum cans. Every PET bottle you recycle helps conserve resources and supports a more responsible production cycle.
NOT ALL PLASTICS ARE EQUAL
PET can be recycled repeatedly without losing strength or quality. It’s also an inexpensive, lightweight and shatter-resistant package that preserves and protects food and medicine people put in their bodies.
RECYCLING CAN BE EASY
Recycling services can be accessible, with many communities across the U.S. offering easy ways to recycle. Today, more than 73% of all U.S. households have access to recycling, according to The Recycling Partnership. By staying informed, choosing packaging that’s easily recyclable and recycling consistently, you can help build a more sustainable future every day.
For more information, visit recyclecheck.org.
(courtesy Shutterstock)