What happens to recycled plastic bottles?
Bottles that are recycled go through a process that can turn them into just about anything. The process can make the hard plastic not just back into bottles but even soft materials. Bottles recycled in the U.S. can end up all over the world.Gathering the BottlesOnce you recycle your bottles and they are taken to recycling facilities, the bottles are gathered into huge bales that weight about 800 to 1,200 pounds. The bales are then shipped to a center where the bottles are shredded into flakes.MeltingThe plastic flakes are washed and dried so they can be melted. The melted bottles get made into small pellets and sold to places where they can be made into various products.Plastic to PlasticThe pellets when melted can be formed back into bottles, pipes or other plastic packaging. Companies are finding ways to use less plastic in their bottles making recycled plastics go further than ever before. Pepsi has a new bottle that uses 20 percent less plastic.Uses of Recycled PlasticSometimes the
