Ethan Clarke
Plastic clamshell containers are notoriously difficult to recycle. Although clamshells are made from Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), a plastic that is usually accepted by recycling programs, clamshells are often an exception. This is because clamshells are made through a process called thermoforming, which gives them a different density than PET bottles. They also break into different-sized chips, melt at a different temperature, and often have strong adhesives that are hard to remove. These factors make it difficult to process clamshells and bottles together, and they can contaminate the final PET bales. So, does Delaware recycle plastic clamshell containers? Delaware residents can use the Recyclopedia search tool to find out if clamshells are acceptable for recycling at home or if they need to be dropped off at a different location.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are plastic clamshell containers recyclable in Delaware? | No, curbside recycling services in Delaware do not accept plastic clamshell containers. |
| Why are they not recyclable? | Plastic clamshells are made of Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) which has a #1 symbol on it, usually accepted by recycling services. However, clamshells are an exception due to the different densities and the fact that they melt at a different temperature than plastic bottles. |
| What can be done with plastic clamshells? | If your local recycling program does not accept plastic clamshells, keep them out of your recycling bin but do not throw them out. You can use the Recyclopedia search tool to find nearby drop-off sites. |
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What You'll Learn
Delaware's Keep America Beautiful program
One of the key initiatives of Keep America Beautiful is America Recycles Day, which takes place annually on November 15. This national initiative is dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Communities across the country participate by encouraging environmental citizenship and improving recycling practices.
Keep Delaware Beautiful also organizes various programs and events to engage the community in keeping their state clean and beautiful. One such initiative is the statewide anti-litter campaign launched by Governor Carney in partnership with Keep Delaware Beautiful. This campaign encourages Delawareans and visitors alike to refrain from littering, to help clean up outdoor spaces, and to protect the state's natural heritage.
Additionally, Keep Delaware Beautiful participates in The Great American Cleanup, which takes place annually in an estimated 20,000 communities nationwide. This event engages millions of volunteers and participants to create a positive and lasting impact on their communities. They also work with the Delaware, Knox, Marion, and Morrow (DKMM) Solid Waste District to provide local recycling and litter prevention programs.
Furthermore, Keep Delaware Beautiful, along with its affiliates and partners, plans volunteer events and education programs. These programs help renew parks, trails, and recreation areas, clean shorelines and waterways, remove litter and debris, and plant trees and community gardens. By engaging the community in these initiatives, Keep Delaware Beautiful strives to create a cleaner and more sustainable environment for all.
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Clamshells are hard to differentiate from other plastics
Plastic clamshells are difficult to recycle, and this is largely due to the fact that they are hard to differentiate from other plastics. While clamshells are made of Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) plastic, which is usually accepted by recycling services, clamshells are an exception to this rule. Most recyclers are set up to recycle bottles, not clamshells, so when bales of plastic also contain clamshells, it makes the recycling process more complicated and lowers the quality of the end product.
Clamshells are inherently difficult to sort once they're in the recycling facility. They are very light, so once flattened, they behave like paper on the sorting conveyor belt, making them hard to separate from other materials. Even facilities with advanced sorting machinery and a large number of employees struggle to tell clamshells apart from other types of plastic, given the volume and speed at which they need to sort the materials.
Clamshells are also made in a different way to PET bottles, which gives the materials different densities. They break into different-sized chips than plastic bottles, melt at a different temperature, and often have strong adhesives that are hard to remove. This means that a recycler can't simply mix clamshells and plastic bottles together, as this will produce a lower-quality recycled container or product.
Recycling facilities prefer to handle mostly or only PET bottles, as this is a uniform type of plastic and will result in a relatively pure end product. Even facilities that accept clamshells prefer bottles and will only tolerate a small number of clamshells to avoid spoiling the end product.
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Clamshells are made from a different process than plastic bottles
Plastic clamshells are typically made from Polyethylene-terephthalate, or PET for short. While plastic bottles are also made from PET, the two types of plastic are produced through different processes and have different densities.
Clamshells are produced through a process called thermoforming, while plastic bottles are made through blow moulding. These distinct processes result in PET products with different grades and densities. Clamshells, for example, break into different-sized chips than plastic bottles and melt at different temperatures.
The different densities of clamshells and plastic bottles mean that they cannot be easily mixed and recycled together. Recycling facilities want to produce the purest bales of a given material to get the best market rate. Therefore, they view clamshells as undesirable, as they contaminate bales of plastic bottles and jugs, reducing their value.
Clamshells are also difficult to sort once they are in the recycling facility. Their lightweight nature means that, once flattened, they behave like paper on the sorting conveyor belt, making them hard to separate from other materials.
Overall, while clamshells and plastic bottles are made from the same type of plastic, they undergo different manufacturing processes, resulting in distinct grades and densities of PET plastic. These differences make it challenging to recycle the two types of plastic together and contribute to the perception of clamshells as undesirable by recycling facilities.
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Clamshells are hard to recycle properly
Plastic clamshells are challenging to recycle properly for several reasons. Firstly, they are made of a plastic called Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET for short, which has a #1 symbol, indicating recyclability. However, clamshells are an exception to this rule, as they are often not accepted by curbside recycling services.
The difficulty in recycling clamshells lies in the nature of the materials used and the processes employed to manufacture them. While clamshells and drink bottles are both made of PET plastic, they are produced using distinct methods, resulting in variations in density. Clamshells also melt at a different temperature compared to plastic bottles and often have strong adhesives that are challenging to remove. Consequently, recyclers cannot simply mix clamshells and plastic bottles together. Blending them can lead to a lower-quality recycled product, which is undesirable for recycling facilities aiming for purity in their end product.
Additionally, clamshells are inherently difficult to sort once they reach the recycling facility. Due to their lightweight nature, flattened clamshells behave like paper on the sorting conveyor belt, making it arduous to separate them from other materials. Even facilities with advanced sorting machinery and a large number of employees struggle to differentiate clamshells from other plastics at the volume and speed they receive and process them.
Furthermore, when plastic clamshells are processed at material recovery facilities (MRFs), they often "contaminate" the PET bales intended for shipping and processing. MRFs strive to produce the purest bales of a specific material to attain the best market rate. However, the presence of clamshells made of the same PET plastic can complicate this process, leading to a less pure end product.
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Find a local recycling solution for clamshells
Plastic clamshells are difficult to recycle because they are made using a process called thermoforming, which gives them a different density than PET bottles. They also break into different-sized chips, melt at a different temperature, and often have strong adhesives that are challenging to remove. These factors make it difficult for recyclers to process clamshells and bottles together, resulting in a lower-quality end product. Many curbside recycling services do not accept plastic clamshell containers, and even facilities that do accept them prefer bottles.
If you are in Delaware and are looking for a local recycling solution for clamshells, you can use the Recyclopedia search tool provided by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). This tool allows you to search for acceptable recycling methods for various materials in your area. Simply set your location using the map search bar, and Recyclopedia will show you nearby drop-off sites and other recycling solutions.
Additionally, Keep Delaware Beautiful is a non-profit organization sponsored by DSWA that focuses on litter prevention, community beautification, and minimizing the impact of solid waste in the state. You can reach out to them to inquire about specific recycling solutions for clamshells in your local area.
If you cannot find a local recycling program that accepts plastic clamshells, you can try to avoid purchasing products with this type of packaging. You can also contact the manufacturer or producer to express your concerns and let them know that you will purchase their products again when they switch to a more environmentally friendly packaging option.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, plastic clamshell containers are recyclable. However, they are one of the trickiest materials to recycle as they are usually made of Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), a plastic with a #1 symbol, which is accepted by most curbside recycling services.
Plastic clamshells are difficult to recycle because they:
- Melt at a different temperature than plastic bottles
- Produce more fine particles when processed
- Have strong adhesives that are hard to remove
- Have different bulk densities than PET bottles, making it difficult to process them together
- Are hard to differentiate from other similarly shaped containers made of different plastics
- Are lightweight and hard to separate from other materials once flattened
Delaware does not appear to recycle plastic clamshell containers at home. However, you can use the Recyclopedia search tool to find nearby drop-off sites and other solutions for your plastic clamshell containers.
If your local recycling program in Delaware does not accept plastic clamshells, keep them out of your recycling bin. You can use the Earth911 Recycling Search to find a local recycling solution or drop them off at a location that accepts them. Alternatively, avoid purchasing products with plastic clamshell packaging and contact the manufacturer to express your concerns.
