If there were any one area of recycling that has most people confused it is plastics. Two bottles may look identical, but one can be recycled and the other can't. Two plastic containers may be totally different in color, density, and texture and be equally recyclable.

Plastic starts out as a thick goo made from oil. Chemicals are added to produce the various qualities, from a sturdy bottle for bleach to a fine film for wrapping CDs. Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour and produce enough shrink wrap every year to encase the state of Texas! Buried in a landfill they do not decompose and incineration can release toxic materials into the atmosphere. The usual recycling method consists of shredding the item into bits which are then remelted into pellets and sold to a plastic manufacturer.

Plastics manufacturers have developed a coding system for identifying the various types of plastic. The symbol is usually on the bottom of the item and consists of three arrows chasing each other enclosing a number (1-7). Under this symbol may appear some letters that are the initials for the type of plastic involved. Please note, that although the recycling symbol is used on all marked plastics that doesn't mean that the item can be recycled. It is only recyclable if you can recycle it.

Here, very briefly, are the seven different types:

1. PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthelate) is most commonly seen in soda bottles, but may also appear as mouthwash, peanut butter, mustard jars and bottles and even microwave plates. It is usually clear or colored translucent.
2. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) forms milk jugs, bleach bottles, squeezable chocolate syrup bottles. It is usually heavy and opaque
3. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) usually appears as clear or slightly tinted plastic bottles, often mistaken for PET bottles.
4. LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) is mostly used for disposable packaging, such as sandwich bags, dry-cleaning covers, plastic grocery bags, and some children's drink bottles. Bags can often be recycled at local grocery stores. Handles that are of a different composition from the bag cannot be included and all materials to be recycled must be clean, dry and free of debris, receipts, etc.
5. PP (Polypropylene) shows up more often than you think, as bottles, bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt cups, rope, carpet and broom fibers. The U.S. uses 3.5 million tons every year and only about 1% gets recycled.
6. PS (Polystyrene) comprises everything from styrofoam cups to packing material to fast food clamshell boxes, plastic utensils (these will snap cleanly when bent), the lids on soda cups and so on. Packing material, such as styrofoam chips or peanuts should be taken to any mail-order or packing company for reuse.
7. OTHER (mixed or unknown composition) is usually unrecyclable anywhere.

Sometimes the container's original contents make it unsuitable for recycling. An #2 HDPE bleach bottle can be recycled because the bleach is easily washed out and does not permeate the bottle to the point of contamination. An #2 HDPE oil (motor, mineral, or cooking oil) bottle cannot be recycled because there is no way to safely and thoroughly remove the residual oil. If a plastic bottle cannot be thoroughly rinsed and safely cleaned of its original contents it should not be recycled.