Bottles and closures sitting in a tree: The packaging pair stays together forever

bottles-and-closures-sitting-in-a-tree-the-packaging-pair-stays-together-foreverRecycling has been causing breakups, literally pulling relationships apart for several years. To most onlookers the house behind the green recycling bin seemed like a happy home, yet the proof was right in front of our faces, there to see all along. Plastic bottles void of lids, well, that's like pancakes without syrup, the night sky without stars, Bella without Edward, it's just wrong (especially that last scenario, those two weirdoes are meant for each other). Read how recyclers are working to keep plastic bottles and lids together, hand-in-hand (so to speak), throughout the recycling process. Curbside recycling – no lids allowed! Reminiscent of a Boys only; keep out girls! tree house sign, it seems like plastic bottles have always been welcome out on the curb, but never lids. Why have plastic closures been purposely excluded from the recycling game? Recycling basics First off, plastic bottles and lids are often made from different types of plastics. That might not seem like a huge deal, but it's a pretty important factor when it comes to recycling. Most beverage containers are made from PET, shampoo containers are often made of LDPE and dairy plastic bottles are made from HDPE. Each type of plastic is sorted into its own category when recycled. Lids on the other hand are most often made from PP, and are meant to travel down their own recycling track. Plastic bottles and lids, under pressure Imagine for a moment that you are one of hundreds of plastic bottles traveling down a conveyor belt, preparing to be recycled. Loud sounds are ahead of you and as you grow closer to the origin of the noise you realize the racket is coming from the machinery¦ you're about to be crushed. Just par for the course, after all, you are about to be recycled. The metal slab comes down upon you, but instead of crushing your plastic bottle body the immense pressure instead causes your classy fedora (aka lid) to catapult across the room. As you might imagine, up until recently lids on plastic bottles were creating some major safety and organization issues in the recycling sector. But according to the <a href=http://www.closureandcontainer.org/>Closure and Container Manufacturers Association</a> (CCMA) and the <a href=http://www.plasticsrecycling.org/>Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers</a> (APR), new technology and streamlined processes have now allowed plastic bottles and lids to be recycled together. Recycling closures today Though recyclers throughout the country are anxious to start mixing lids alongside their plastic bottles the updated equipment and practices are only active in a handful of states at this time. Cities like LA and Philadelphia ask that empty plastic bottles be recycled with their lids on while Houston suggests that lids be recycled separately, as in unattached to plastic bottles. Preferences differ as the program continues to develop. If cap collection isn't available in your neck of the woods just yet, don't panic. Other companies are eager to jump on board the green train to recycling lids. <a href=http://www.aveda.com/locator/index.tmpl>Aveda Experience Centers</a> and <a href=http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/>Whole Foods</a> locations are currently acting as sustainability supporters, accepting donations of polypropylene (PP) closures. So, here's to all those who thought the act and practices of recycling would never change. Just like many other industries, the art and business of recycling is continuing to grow and develop. Opening its reach to include plastic closures as well as plastic bottles may only be the beginning. This new development, combined with the world's growing concern for green living may help fuel recycling efforts to make a greater impact than ever before. Are you planning to recycle your polypropylene closures? Tell us why or why not in the comments.