Aluminum Cans
The aluminum can is the most valuable beverage container to recycle and it is the most recycled consumer product in the U.S. today. Recycling aluminum cans provides environmental, economic, benefits to communities.
Glass Bottles
Glass is one of the most popular materials to be recycled today, both because of the purity of the ingredients and the quick turnaround of recycling. Your glass containers actually begin their life as readily-available domestic materials, such as sand, soda ash or limestone. Similar to paper, glass comes in a variety of colors, and this does come into play in the recycling process.
Paper
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), approximately 35 percent of the municipal solid waste stream (MSW) is made up of paper and paperboard products. Paper makes up the largest portion of the municipal waste, and also one of the most recovered materials.
Plastic
Plastic recycling affects a range of products, from drink containers to shopping bags to pipes. Plastic is almost always the product of petroleum, a non-renewable resource. This makes recycling plastic even more important. Curbside programs often make recycling plastic containers easier than other plastic products. You’ll likely be unable to recycle plastic bags, packaging and styrofoam at the curb. This material is very recyclable at a qualified center, use Earth 911’s recycling locator to find one.
Steel
Steel is an extremely valuable metal that is present in many of the containers and devices we use on a daily basis. While steel is the dominant material in the cars we drive and the beams of the buildings we work in, for the average person recycling steel will involve the proper disposal of steel cans and scrap metal. Steel is the most recycled material in North America, and it can be recycled infinitely and turned into new steel products.
Facts from Earth911.org.