All questionsMaterials
Is recycling plastic actually worth it?
Short answer
It is worth doing, but it is the weakest of the three Rs. Only about 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled, most of it downcycled into lower-grade products that cannot be recycled again. Reducing and reusing prevent far more impact than sorting waste correctly.
The detail
PET bottles (code 1) and HDPE (code 2) have functioning recycling markets in most countries. Codes 3, 6 and 7, films, and multi-material packaging usually do not, regardless of the chasing-arrows symbol printed on them.
That symbol is a resin identification code, not a recyclability promise. The practical hierarchy is: refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, then recycle — with recycling as the last stop, not the goal.
At a glance
- Widely recycled
- PET (1) and HDPE (2) rigid containers, aluminium, steel, glass, cardboard.
- Rarely recycled
- Films, pouches, black plastic, PVC (3), polystyrene (6), 'other' (7).
- Better move
- Choose refill, concentrate or package-free formats so there is nothing to sort.