City of Roswell News | Roswell, GA

Here’s a Clue in 2022… Did you know the Recycling Center recycles #5 plastics and #4 plastic film?

So what does the #5 with the recycling symbol indicate? Don’t be fooled! It indicates polypropylene, or PP for short. Some examples of this type of plastic are take-out food containers, ice cream containers, and yogurt/margarine containers.

Plastic films #4, or Low Density Polyethylene, are also a popular choice for food packaging and storing. Although #5 plastics are seen as more durable and reusable, plastic films are typically regarded as a single-use type of material. Some examples of this type of plastic are grocery bags, utility bags, food bags, and bread bags, as well as bags with moderate strength and stretch properties.

It is also important to recycle these items so they do not end up as litter. Plastic pollution in our ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers can cause harm to waterfowl, birds of prey, turtles, frogs, and fish here in Roswell due to plastic bags getting stuck on their bills, around their necks, and on their feet or tails.

#5 Plastics and #4 Plastic Film Facts: According to Plastic Recycling and the Plastic Recycling Process (www.thebalancesmb.com)

• About 8.5% of plastic production was recycled in the U.S. during 2018, varying by product category. Plastic packaging and containers were recycled at 13.1%.
• Currently, 30 percent of plastic waste is recycled in Europe.
• Currently, around 50% of plastics we use are thrown away just after a single use.
• Plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade

The plastics that end up in the oceans break down into small pieces and every year around 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds are killed by this pollution.
For more information on all items accepted at the Roswell Recycling Center please visit our website at www.roswellgov.com/recyclingcenter or call 770-442-8822. Located at 11570 Maxwell Road Alpharetta, GA 30009.