Ethan Clarke
The numbers on plastic items indicate the type of polymer used, such as Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 1 for fizzy drink bottles or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 2 for milk bottles. However, these numbers are not always helpful in determining whether an item can be recycled locally, as the recyclability of plastic depends on various factors, including the capabilities of the local recycling facility. In Cambridge, the accepted plastics for recycling include all household plastic bottles, thin moulded plastic packaging, plastic films, and some hard plastics.
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What You'll Learn
Plastic bottles
In Cambridge, all household plastic bottles can be recycled. To prepare plastic bottles for recycling, rinse them, empty them, and squash them. Put the lid or spray trigger back on lightly. It is important to empty liquids out, as these make the bottles too heavy to be sorted correctly. During the sorting process, bottles are moved onto different conveyors depending on what kind of plastic they are; this is done by blasting them with jets of air. The Amey Waste Management Park near Waterbeach sorts all materials from the blue bins. Plastics are sorted using Near Infra-Red (NIR) optical sorters to identify the different plastic types.
Some plastic bottles have a triangle with a number inside (1 to 7) stamped on them, which is called a Plastic Identification Code. This code identifies the type of plastic used to make the product. It is not a recycling label and it does not mean the item can be recycled. For example, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 1 is used in fizzy drink bottles, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 2 is used for milk bottles. These numbers are not always helpful for deciding whether an item can be recycled locally, because even items made from the same polymer may need to be dealt with differently.
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Plastic films
In Cambridge, UK, plastic films can be recycled in the black bin. However, due to market conditions, they cannot always be recycled into new products. When this is the case, the films are used to generate energy instead.
Casting involves the rapid cooling of melted plastic to produce a non-stretched and non-oriented flat extruded film. This film has no obvious orientation structure.
The extrusion method uses uniaxial or biaxial stretching. In biaxial stretching, the polymer raw material is heated and melted to form thick sheets. These sheets are then stretched in both longitudinal and transverse directions, causing the molecular chains to align and arrange in an ordered manner parallel to the film plane.
The blown film method is the most widely used. It involves extruding the plastic into a tubular blank, inflating and shaping it, and finally cooling, drawing, and winding it. This process gives the film some orientation.
LDPE film is a type of plastic film with lower density, flexibility, and low-temperature resistance. It is commonly used for plastic bags and is indicated by the number 4. LDPE has excellent chemical stability and resistance to acids, alkalis, and salts. It is also electrically insulating. Recycled LDPE can be used to make elastic plastic products such as trash cans and toolboxes.
HDPE film, or impermeable film, has a melting point of approximately 110-130°C and a relative density of 0.918-0.965 kg/cm3. It is highly crystalline, with excellent resistance to high and low temperatures and impact resistance. It also exhibits excellent chemical stability, rigidity, toughness, mechanical strength, and tear resistance.
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Plastic packaging
The first step is to separate different materials, like removing film lids from punnets and separating plastic packaging from cardboard. Plastic films, like bubble wrap, can be recycled, but absorbent layers must be put in the black bin. Wash and shake off any excess water. Thin moulded plastic packaging, like that from toys, batteries or Easter eggs, can be recycled but must be separated from cardboard.
Some manufacturers label plastic with numbers to indicate the polymer type. For example, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 1 is used for fizzy drink bottles, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 2 is used for milk bottles. However, these labels are not always helpful for deciding whether an item can be recycled locally, as different polymers may need to be treated differently. For example, yoghurt pots are often made from type 6 polystyrene, which is accepted in the blue bin, but other products made from type 6 polystyrene, like packaging, are not accepted.
In Cambridge, all materials from the blue bin are sorted at a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at the Amey Waste Management Park near Waterbeach. Plastics are sorted using Near Infra-Red (NIR) optical sorters to identify the different plastic types. They are then cleaned, shredded and made into pellets to be sold to manufacturers.
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Polystyrene
If you have a large quantity of polystyrene to dispose of, there are commercial recycling services available. Some polystyrene materials, such as foam cups, trays, or foam packaging, are marked with a symbol that is part of the Plastic Identification Code. This code identifies the type of plastic the product is made from, not if it can be recycled. Polystyrene is also used to make solid plastic packaging such as meat trays and yogurt/dairy containers.
In the Town of Cambridge Council area, polystyrene foam should not be put in your recycling bin at home. It can be dropped off at designated recycling points, but if there isn't one in your area, it should be put in the garbage bin. Polystyrene foam that is dropped off for recycling will be melted down and turned into new products such as outdoor furniture, decking, picture frames, and skirting boards.
In general, all household plastic bottles can be recycled in Cambridge. Just rinse, empty, and squash them, and put the lid or spray trigger back on. It is important to empty liquids out, as they can make the bottles too heavy to be sorted correctly. During the sorting process, bottles are moved onto different conveyors depending on the type of plastic they are made of. This is done by blasting them with jets of air.
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Plastic bags
The Cambridge Recycling Center on Hampshire St. accepts plastic bags, with the exception of frozen food bags, pre-washed salad bags, and biodegradable plastic bags. The center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 7:30 pm, and on Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm.
In addition, the Star Market and Marshall's near East Cambridge/Somerville have plastic bag recycling. Whole Foods on River St. and Fresh Pond also offer plastic bag recycling.
If you have any connection with MIT, you can recycle plastic bags there as well.
It is important to note that recycling labels on plastic items are not always indicative of whether an item can be recycled locally. Even items made from the same polymer may need to be handled differently. For example, yogurt pots are accepted in the blue bin, but they are often made from the same polymer as polystyrene packaging, which is not accepted. Therefore, descriptions of items are a better way to determine what can be recycled.
The Greater Cambridge Shared Waste service collects plastic for recycling, and more than 97% of this is sent to UK reprocessors. The remaining material is exported and tracked according to DEFRA guidelines.
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Frequently asked questions
All household plastic bottles can be recycled in Cambridge. This includes plastic bottles used for fizzy drinks (labelled PET 1) and milk bottles (labelled HDPE 2). Other plastic items that can be recycled include buckets, toys, storage boxes, and medicine blister pill packets.
Plastic bottles should be rinsed, emptied, squashed, and put in the recycling bin with the lid or spray trigger still on. It is important to empty liquids from the bottles as they can be too heavy to be sorted correctly otherwise. Plastic wrappers that do not have a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside can be recycled in the blue bin.
Plastic wrappers with a shiny foil-like layer on the inside or outside, such as biscuit, cracker, and cake wrappers, cannot be recycled in the blue bin and should be put in the black bin instead. Biodegradable or compostable plastic, such as wrap, bags, cutlery, or cups, cannot be recycled in the green or blue bins.
