You Can Now Recycle ‘All Plastic Bottles’

DALTON, GA - Recycling just got easier in Whitfield County! Residents can now recycle all plastic bottles and jugs thru one of the recycling venues available in Whitfield County like the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program, and all Convenience Center locations.

“We have moved away from telling residents to recycle plastic bottles and jugs with the #1 or #2 recycling symbol.  The recycling symbol numbers are plastic resin identification codes that are used on a wide range of plastic products like cups, trays, tubs, and plastic bags.  Looking for the small numbers is time consuming, and confusing.”  explained Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Coordinator at the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority.   “In order to simplify the identification of recyclables, residents are encouraged to recycle all plastic bottles and jugs.  If a plastic container has a neck smaller than the base it’s a bottle that should go in the recycling bin.  This means that laundry detergent bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, cleaning solution bottles and more can be recycled.”

There are a large variety of recyclable plastic bottles and jugs found in every room of the home.  For example, plastic jugs and bottles for soda, milk, water, juice, syrup, ketchup, cooking oil, peanut butter, and other condiments.  Cleaning solutions like liquid dish detergent, liquid laundry detergent, bleach, liquid fabric softener, window cleaner, bathroom, and kitchen cleaners.  Personal items like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, mouthwash, and lotion.  And finally, individual beverage containers for soft drinks, water, tea, and sports drinks.

Another indicator that a bottle or jug is recyclable is the thread on the neck that allow for a cap to be screwed on.   A margarine tub or yogurt cup do not qualify for recycling since they have a wide mouth opening larger than the base.  Plastic bags, plastic food trays, drinking cups, plastic utensils, motor oil and pesticide bottles and jugs are also not collected for recycling in Whitfield County.  It’s recommended to rinse out plastic bottles to remove food residue and crush to save space.  It’s ok to leave the labels and caps on the containers.

Recycling takes a product at the end of its useful life and uses part or that entire product to make new ones.  As a result, recycling just one container can save energy, water, and other natural resources.  According to NAPCOR, the National Association for PET Container Resources, it takes nineteen 20 oz. plastic bottles to yield enough fiber to make one extra large T-shirt, or one square foot of carpet.

Click here to watch the “All Plastic Bottles” video and download the information sheet.  Or for more details call the Dalton-Whitfield Recycling Center at 706-278-5001.