Mobile Chemical is the company that manufactures a brand name trash bag, as well as store brands. I was sitting on a bench outside one factory when a supervisor told me it was made of recycled plastic. I was impressed, it seemed like a typical concrete picnic table bench to me.

Most cities have recycling programs that pick up plastic curbside for recycling. Once collected, plastic needs to be sorted by type. The "Resin Code" is stamped on products as a broken triangle with the code number in the center. These are the codes and some typical reuses for the recycled plastic:

1. Polyecthylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE) - water, soda, peanut butter, mouthwash jars
Recycled into carpet fibers, fleece jackets, comforter fill, tote bags, film and strapping.

2. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) - milk, shampoo bottles, grocery bags, cereal bag liners
Recycled into bottles for non-food use, plastic lumber, buckets, crates, recycling bins.

3. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - blister pack and clamshell packaging, shrink wrap, pipes, floor products
Recycled uses include pipes, gutters, decks and fences, floor tiles, traffic cones, garden hoses and mobile home skirting.

4. Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) - dry cleaning bags, bags used for newspapers, bread, frozen foods, and shrink wrap
Recycling uses include shipping envelopes, garbage can liners, trash cans and furniture.

5. Polypropylene (PP) - margarine, yogurt containers, bottle caps and medicine bottles.
Car battery cases, battery cables, brooms, ice scrappers, rakes, pallets and oil funnels.

6. Polystyrene (PS) - packing "peanuts", food and beverage containers.
Thermal insulation, light switch plates, video cassette casings, plastic moldings and rulers.

7. Other- such as oven bags or 5 gallon refillable water bottles.
Bottles and plastic lumber applications.

Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) is used as well.

The assorted sorted plastics are baled and sent to various plants for reclamation. Plastic is chopped into flakes, washed to remove contaminants and sold to the end user who relies on recycled materials to create many products. There are different processes for making the plastic flakes usable, such as using heat or chemicals. Environmental regulations control this process, so that harm is not done to the environment.

Recycled HDPE plastic is used to make railroad ties. Conrail's Altoona Pennsylvania station replaced 10 wooden railroad ties with ties made from 100% recycled plastic. The product worked so well, they purchased and installed 6 more. The appeal of using of recycled plastic timber is the long term value of maintenance. Less splinters, and it does not rot like wood.

"Ecoboard" made from 76 to 100% recycled LDPE and PP plastics. It is used in retaining walls, flower bed walls, and walkway edging. Never know what product you are using today was once that plastic grocery bag or soda bottle. It might be that deck you are sitting on and the chair as well.

Learn more about this author, Alyce Rocco.
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