Plastic bins which are large in size are easy to clean and manage. As well as the question arises, can you recycle large plastic storage containers? Here I am with the answers and solutions. Plastic storage containers are used for different purposes. One of them is the type you use in kitchen for food and dry groceries.
Other ones are which you use for storage purposes, like decorative items, gardening gadgets, clothes and garage items. Cleaning and replacing large plastic storage containers can be a bit of task to perform. So, most of the people try re cycling them for further use. Specially, when the plastic is in good condition.
Items That Are Always Trash
PVC & Biodegradable Plastics
As many of us already know that all plastics are not recycle able. Some of them are recycle able. And here below is the list of both of them. Any ways, non recycle able plastic are, Polystyrene, PVC, mixed plastics, multi layered packaging, biodegradable plastics and black plastics. Above items are always trash, you must throw them away once you use them till their life.
Paper Cups & Polythene Bags
Mostly paper cups, plastic cups, straws, and cup lids need to be thrown away at the right place. They do not decompose by their self and harm the environment very badly. Black plastic is also very harmful for our environment, especially when used like shopping bags, polythene bags.
Landfills
This type of plastic do not decompose, you can not burn it, recycle it or dump it underground, as it harms the nature too! That is the basic reason, in many countries this is banned! Some of the landfilled plastics remain under the land upto 100 years that can be very harmful for the land and its environment
Recycle Able Plastics
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – water bottles, plastic dishes, plastic tray. Which are used at daily basis in restaurants, homes and food carts.
- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – Milk boxes, cartoons, bottles for bathroom accessories like shampoo, bath soap, shower gel, conditioner etc.
- Polypropylene (PP) – This type of plastic is used to prepare ready to eat meal trays and margarine tubs.
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) – This type of plastic is used in making of water pipes, and all type of pipes. But these are prepared and recycles with special machinery.
- Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) – This plastic is also recycle able and is used to prepare food bags.
- Polystyrene (PS) – This is the normal recycle able plastic you almost use in your home. Plastic cutlery is it’s special product.
Why You Can Not Recycle Plastics
Recycling them is a bit difficult. Main rule is “resin”. Any plastic material which have comparatively lower resin in it’s material will last long the recycling race. Lower resin codes of plastic make it easy to recycle number of times.
Depending on this code, we decide the numbers of recycle a plastic container can have. Most of the times, you could have seen a triangular symbol and number in it. It represents the number of times a bottle or a container has been recycles.
This numbering also defines that how many times can you recycle large plastic storage containers or any plastic. Any ways, let’s briefly look upon the types of non- recycle able plastics in the following list.
Which Plastics Are Not Recycle Able?
Bioplastics
Plastics which can be made from natural resources such as vegetable oils and starches you can not recycle them. Their major use which you can observe is medical (sutures, prostheses etc. And in food department you can see food containers which are environmental friendly are mostly made from bio plastics.
Composite Plastics
These are made from fibers, fillers and powders etc., these are also non- recyclable. You can observe plywood, fiber-reinforced polymer and fiber glass as examples.
Plastic Coated Wrapping Paper & Cling Film
These are just laminated with composite plastics paper or paperboard made with plastic. You can not recycle them. For example, wrapping papers. A well known example of non recyclable plastics is cling film and blister packaging.
Polycarbonate Plastics
These are made with grouping of thermoplastic polymers which contain carbonate groups. You can not recycle them as well. For example, bullet proof glass, safety helmets and baby feeding bottles.
How to Recycle Large Plastic Storage Containers
Process of recycling is large scale based process. So, most of the governments are responsible for it. You just have to make sure that you make it possible for them to reach the recycle able plastics.
Bins, and specified places accepts your used bottles, storage containers and other plastic materials and provide you a receipt or cash in return. It is according to the policy of company or governments. The process includes different steps:
First of All, the company separates and define every different type of plastic. Than They forward it to an electronic belt which slowly moves them to the recycling machinery. Every plastic type has different recycling center.
So, search around you find the right one and dispose your plastic container there. Nation’s Recycle Search Tool is best helper for you to find right places to recycle large plastic storage containers.
Why You Should Buy Recyclable Products?
Keep Environment Safe
To save your environment and your health, I personally recommend you to buy plastic which is recycle able. Weather it is a food container, A large plastic storage container or a storage box. Try to buy a plastic product which shows recycle sign.
Landfills Are Dangerous
The plastics which are not recycle able are mostly ended up in landfilling. They are dumped in land, which are further a major cause of pollution and land poisonings. Water poisoning is also caused by these land filled plastics. Because a plastic never de composes. It is always there in a different form.
Try Reusing Containers!
Donate Your Boxes
If we talk about plastic storage boxes or containers, It is very easy to re use them for a different purpose. Clean and dry a plastic storage container and re use it to store a different product. If you don’t feel a need of plastic container anymore, but it is still in a good shape to use, try to donate it. Mostly gardening and training centers are a good place to donate these type of things.
Use Open Containers To Feed Birds
The boxes which are now without lids and you feel no use of them. You still can use them outdoor. Store gardening related things them. Or try to use them for feeding visiting birds. First of All, clean box thoroughly and fill them with feed, put it in an open air place where birds visit the most. For example, you can place them on the roof, in front of garden where are a lot of plants and trees.
Repurpose Plastic Storage Boxes
Use plastic boxes in garage, to store your muddy shoes, working and washing shoes. You can store your dog’s gear in them very easily. If you don’t feel any use, you can resell them to any one who needs them. Or simply donate them. But if they are not in any shape to use, find a recycle bin and recycle your plastic into it. This will to you in a different shape and style.
Use For Container Gardening
You can use large plastic containers to start container gardening at your home. Some of the vegetables like tomatoes need big root space to grow and bear fruit. So large containers would be best to re use for them. It is best to cut an extra large container length wise and use it to grow herbs like mint and coriander.
Conclusion
You can recycle large plastic storage containers only if they are made of recyclable plastic. Which are PS, PVC, LDPE and PET. These can be recycled easily, you can approach your nearby recycling center for this.
Some items are always trash you can not recycle them, just like a plastic product that has been reached to its limit of recycling process. You can repurpose them to a different use until they are trash.
Frequently Asked Questions
To dispose them off, call your local DPW, or find a collection center near you. You can hand over all plastic storage boxes to them.
Almost all the recycling centers accept the plastic which have #1 or #2 recycling number on it. Weather it is your Tupper wear box, lid or large plastic storage container. Most of the recycling centers also accept number 5.
You can recycle a large container to plastic bottle supply cups, coffee cream containers, snack storage boxes, water bottles and food boxes.
Yes, most of the hard plastic, rigid plastics can be recycled too. It depends on the resin code for plastic and amount of fiber present in the plastic. The higher the resin code, higher is the chance of non recycle able product.
Most of the bioplastics, composite plastics, wrapping papers which are plastic coated and poly carbonates are non recycle able plastics.
