Why Is Removing Plastic Lids Important?
There are a number of reasons we ask you to remove all caps and lids from containers, particularly plastic bottles, before you bring them in for recycling.
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Benefit To You – Our Customer
One of our goals is to provide our customers with the most effective and efficient drop-off service across Adelaide. Lids are required to be removed before plastic bottles are recycled. If you remove the lids before you bring in your containers, you will not have to wait for our staff to do it for you, allowing us to sort and pay you much quicker.
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Lids Are Made From A Different Type Of Plastic
(Look for the recycling symbol on the plastic item)Different plastics melt at different temperatures and go through a different recycling process due to their chemical composition.
On the bottle itself, you will see the recycling symbol with a number 1 inside. This type of plastic is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PETE for short). This plastic is in high demand by remanufacturers who recycle it into new containers, carpet, furniture and polar fleece.
On the inside of the plastic lid you will see the same symbol but instead of a 1, you will see either a 4; which means the plastic is made from low density polyehylene (LDPE for short) or 5, meaning the plastic is made from polypropylene (PP). When these two types of plastic are recycled, they are often turned into fence posts, tubing, crates, plant pots and automotive parts. -
Storage & Transportation
Plastic bottles are compressed under high temperatures into cubes called ‘bales’. If there is air or liquid inside the bottles because the lid is left on, the bottle will pop open causing the bale to fall apart; making storage and transportation of the bottles difficult.
Help us to help you by removing ALL lids and caps before you bring them in.
Help the environment by removing ALL lids and caps for recycling.
Read more about plastic bottle recycling and the different types of plastics used to make plastic drink bottles.
