There's more PAPER waste than plastic waste.
Plastic products make up about 19.9 percent of municipal waste by volume. Paper and paperboard, by comparison, account for 34.1 percent.

Plastic recycling is on the rise.
According to The National Association for Plastic Container Recovery (NAPCOR), more than 30 percent of all plastic soft drink containers (over 274 million pounds per year) are already being recycled into new consumer products, and the demand for recycled plastic is growing. In 1990, ninety million pounds of the plastic used in milk and detergent containers was recycled.

Plastic has high energy value.
Plastic products have the highest energy value for modern waste-to-energy incineration. For example, the energy content of a pound of polyethylene is 19,900 Btu. The energy content of a pound of Wyoming coal is 9,600 Btu.

Plastic packaging reduces waste.
Plastic products have already contributed substantially to source reduction in the waste stream by replacing heavier, thicker materials previously used in packaging. Engineered reduction in the amount of plastic used in containers has also made a big difference (compare an old soda bottle to a newer one; they're a lot lighter nowadays).

Plastic in landfills is less toxic than other
materials.
Landfill wastes are sealed off from air and moisture. This prevents waste -- plastic or otherwise -- from degrading quickly enough to extend the life of the landfill. Once it's buried in a landfill, plastic is far less likely to contribute to the production of toxic leachate than other landfill materials.

Plastic has health and safety benefits.
Plastic products are popular because they provide safety and health benefits that other materials can't offer as well. Examples: tamper-evident seals for food and medicines; shatter-resistant containers; freezer-to-microwave packaging for prepared foods; and wrappers that preserve freshness.

Our neighborhoods recycle plastic!
More than 6,850 communities today include plastics in their recycling programs.

Adapted from materials from The American Plastics
Council.

Though the information is offered in good faith and believed to be accurate, all statements and suggestions are made without warranty, express or implied. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Rotational Molders.