Recycling is a series of activities that includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste; sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials such as fibers; and manufacturing raw materials into new products.

For recycling to work, everyone has to participate in each phase of the loop. This cycle goes from government and industry, to organizations, to small businesses, and to all individuals and families at home.

Every American can make recycling a part of their daily routine.

You can tell what kind of plastic a container is made of by looking at the recycling symbol on the bottom:

1. PET(E) - Polytethylene terephthalate
   
2. HDPE -High Density Polyethylene
   

Not all plastics can be recycled in all communities.

• In 1995, Americans recycled 9.5 percent of all plastic packaging, including 26 percent of all plastic bottles.
  
• Approximately 19.0 million tons of plastic waste was generated in 1995.
  
• The "#1" (PET) and "#2" (HDPE) plastics are most commonly recycled. Markets for other plastics are currently limited; so most recycling programs do not accept them.
  

#1 Plastics: PET, or Polytehylene terephthalate

• The most common use for recycled PET is for textiles. PET can also be spun to make fiber filling for pillows, quilts and jackets.
  
• Five PET bottles yield enough fiber for one extra large T-shirt, one square foot of carpet, or enough fiber fill to fill one ski jacket.
  
• It takes 35 two-liter PET bottles to make enough fiberfill for a sleeping bag.
  
• Half of all polyester carpet made in the United States is made from recycled PET.
  
• The average household generates 17 pounds of PET bottles annually.
  

#2 Plastics: HDPE, or High Density Polyethylene

• HDPE can be recycled into plastic pipes, plastic lumber, flower pots, trashcans, or bottles used for non-food applications (for example, soaps).
  
• More than 310,000 tons of HDPE was made from recycled materials in 1996.
  
• The HDPE recycling rate in 1996 was 13.9 percent .